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.