By Nayana Bandara

A female Samurdhi officer who was taking part in a foot pilgrimage to Kataragama was mauled and killed by what is suspected be a bear or leopard while she was traveling through the Yala National park this morning, the Kataragama police said 

The thirty two year Samurdhi officer who is a resident of Akkaraipattu had taken part in the foot pilgrimage to Kataragama with her father, when she had for a personnel reason headed to a nearby town through the park when the incident occurred.

The police are conducting further investigations.