A 55-year-old tribal woman from Murbad taluka here was mauled to death by a panther, district rural police said on Saturday.

API Pankaj Giri of Tokawade Police Station said the incident took place last evening when the big cat strayed into a residential locality of Singapore-Waghwadi and dragged the woman out of her house.

By the time, villagers heard her scream and tried to chase the panther, she was already dead, police said.

ALSO READ: Stray Dogs ‘Devour’ 65 Year Old Lady, Injure Another

The victim was identified as Mira Khandu, they said.

A police team from Murbad along with forest officials are carrying out a probe and a trap has been laid to catch the animal, Giri said, adding that armed policemen were patrolling the area.

The remains of the woman have been sent for postmortem and a case of accidental death has been registered by the local police station.