The injured, identified as Thomthomurmu, was spraying pesticide in the tea plantation at Murugali Estate in the morning when a sloth bear emerged from the thicket and charged him.

Hearing his loud cries for help, workers from nearby estates rushed to the scene and chased the animal away. They immediately took him to the estate hospital.

He was then shifted to Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital for further treatment. Forest department staff from Manampalli forest range arrived at the conflict zone and stepped up monitoring in the area to prevent any further incidents of attack.

Meanwhile, the authorities have urged estate workers to remain cautious, especially in plantations close to forest boundaries.