TN woman dies after monkey scare triggers fatal fall at Thoothukudi hill temple

A 24-year-old newlywed woman died after falling from a hilltop in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district on Saturday (June 27). She reportedly panicked when a group of monkeys surrounded her as she was feeding them fruits.

The woman, identified as Anitha from South Thittankulam in Thoothukudi, had married 29-year-old Suresh only last month. Suresh, who works overseas, had recently returned home, and the couple visited the Kalugasalamoorthy Temple at Kazhugumalai to offer prayers.

Monkey scare turns fatal

After offering prayers at the main temple, the couple climbed to the hilltop Uchipillaiyar shrine. Police said they were feeding fruits to monkeys when several of the animals suddenly gathered around them.

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“The monkeys appear to have triggered panic in her. We are investigating,” a police officer told NDTV.

According to the preliminary investigation, Anitha lost her balance in the panic and fell from the hilltop, dying on the spot. Her husband was left devastated. Visuals showed him breaking down beside his wife’s body.

Police personnel, assisted by local residents and temple authorities, retrieved the body from the hillside before taking it to a government hospital for a post-mortem examination.

Monkey menace under spotlight

Police said the evidence available so far suggests the fall was accidental after the woman became frightened by the monkeys. However, they added that every aspect of the incident is being examined as part of the investigation.

The incident has once again drawn attention to the growing presence of monkeys at hill temples across Tamil Nadu. Wildlife experts have repeatedly cautioned that feeding monkeys can encourage aggressive behaviour and increase the likelihood of accidents, particularly at crowded or elevated locations.