Chennai, Aug 12 : An eight-year-old boy from Assam was killed in a sloth bear attack at Waverly Estate in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) in Tamil Nadu's Valparai, said officials on Tuesday.

The attack happened on Monday night. This is the second fatal incident involving a child in the reserve in the past two months.

The victim, identified as S. Noor Islam, was a Class 3 student living with relatives in the estate's labour quarters while his parents remained in Assam.

Forest department officials said the boy had gone to a grocery shop about 200 metres away from his quarters at around 7.30 p.m. to buy milk. When he failed to return after 45 minutes, worried relatives alerted estate staff and neighbours, who began a search. His body was eventually found about 500 metres from the quarters, concealed in dense bushes.

The child's face and body bore deep scratches and nail marks. Initial speculation pointed to a leopard attack, but forest officials later confirmed it was the work of a sloth bear, based on the nature of the injuries.

A senior forest official said the department had recently held a meeting with estate authorities and other stakeholders, chaired by the District Collector, to address rising incidents of human-animal conflict.

'We had instructed the estate management to clear overgrown bushes and provide adequate toilet facilities to reduce encounters with wild animals. These measures were discussed soon after the death of four-year-old M. Roshini Kumari from Jharkhand, who was killed by a leopard at Pachamalai Estate on June 21,' the official said.

The body was shifted to Valparai Hospital for post-mortem examination. The forest department has stepped up patrolling in the area and urged estate residents to remain vigilant, especially during early morning and evening hours when wild animals are most active.

Officials said that the hilly terrain, abundant forest cover, and close proximity of labour settlements to wildlife habitats make Valparai particularly vulnerable to such encounters, underscoring the urgent need for preventive measures and community awareness programmes.

/IANS