A 36-year-old woman tea estate worker was attacked by a tiger when she was on her way to work in Nilakottai, some 90 km from Udhagamandalam today.

According to police, Mary and nine others were on their way to work to an estate in Ottranvayal, when the tiger pounced on her.

To avoid the animal, Mary bent down and the tiger’s nail, as claimed by other workers, pierced a portion of her forehead. She was admitted to the Government Hospital in Gudalur.

Forest and police department officials rushed to the spot and are on the job of confirming whether the animal was a tiger or leopard, since the people in the area also call leopard as tiger.