Image credit : Illustrative image

Coimbatore : A 55-year-old woman survived narrowly from the jaws of death, as she fell down some 20 ft deep along a slope, when a leopard chased her last night in a tea estate in Valparai in the district.

According to police, Philomina, fearing the movement of leopard in Cincona Estate, where two women were attacked by the animal, was staying with her daughter in another nearby estate.

When she went out to the toilet last night, a leopard lying there chased her as she ran for safety. Fortunately, Philomina slipped and fell down some 20 ft down and the leopard went away into the forest.

Hearing the screams, neighbours and estate workers rushed to the area to rescue Philomina who suffered minor injuries.

They have requested forest department officials to trap the carnivore. As a first step towards protection, anti-poaching warders were deployed to scare away the leopard by bursting
crackers, they said.