Full Breakdown
Monkey Attack Leads to Death of 91-Year-Old Woman in Karnataka
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Incident
On September 19 a 91-year-old resident of B.T. Patil Nagar in Karnataka’s Koppal district, Najamunnisa Begum, was attacked by a monkey while standing near the entrance of her home’s courtyard. CCTV footage captured the animal jumping toward her, striking her with its feet, and causing her to fall backward and hit her head. She was taken to a private hospital, initially appeared to be recovering, but her condition later deteriorated and she died the following day. The same footage shows the monkey moving toward Najamunnisa’s daughter, who rushed to help, before the animal fled the scene.
Background & Context
The incident occurs amid a series of reported monkey attacks on elderly women across India. Earlier in September, a 55-year-old woman died after falling from a rooftop while trying to escape a group of monkeys in Aligarh’s Gabhana (reported on September 10). A similar fatality was reported in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, on September 14. In March, a 65-year-old woman in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, died after losing balance while fleeing a troop of monkeys. These cases have been linked to an overall rise in aggressive wildlife encounters in residential and public spaces, including incidents at the Delhi Zoo and in the Manesar housing society.
Key Figures
- Najamunnisa Begum – 91-year-old victim, resident of B.T. Patil Nagar.
- M.S. Savadatti – Noted writer, husband of Najamunnisa Begum.
- Unnamed daughter – Attempted to rescue her mother after the attack.
Data & Statistics
- The CCTV video of the attack has been viewed more than seven million times on the social-media platform X, prompting widespread online discussion.
- Reported monkey-related fatalities involving elderly women in the past few months total at least three (Aligarh, Shimla, Koppal).
- Residents in Koppal have demanded INR5 lakh in compensation for Najamunnisa Begum’s family.
Official Responses & Community Reaction
Community members approached authorities seeking compensation and better control measures. No formal statement from municipal or wildlife officials was included in the available reports.
Why It Matters
The Koppal incident underscores growing human-wildlife conflict in urban and peri-urban India, particularly the vulnerability of senior citizens to sudden animal encounters. Repeated reports of monkey aggression have prompted calls for stronger wildlife-management policies, clearer jurisdictional responsibilities between municipal bodies and forest departments, and public-awareness campaigns to reduce feeding of monkeys in residential areas.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
All sources agree that a monkey attacked Najamunnisa Begum, that she was hospitalized, and that she died the next day. Minor variations exist in the description of the animal (generic “monkey” versus “bonnet macaque” in unrelated zoo reports), but these do not affect the core facts of the incident. No official investigation details or forensic findings have been released, leaving a gap in understanding the precise circumstances that led to the fatal injury.