Paris, Nov 20 (IANS): A pregnant woman was killed by dogs in a forest in northern France where a hunt with hounds was taking place, said a media report quoting investigators.

The body of Elisa Pilarski, 29, who was walking her dogs at the time of the tragedy, was found near the town of Villers-Cotterêts, BBC reported. She was six-month pregnant.

She had died with "several dog bites to the upper and lower limbs and the head," prosecutor Frédéric Trinh said.

Police said tests were being carried out on 93 dogs to determine which animals were involved in the attack. These included five dogs owned by the deceased.

A manslaughter investigation had been initiated.

According to the prosecutor's office, Ms Pilarski was walking in Retz forest, about 80 km north-east of Paris on Saturday (local time) when she phoned her partner Christophe to inform him that she feared an attack by a pack of dogs.

He went to the forest only to find her body, reportedly after following the distressed cries of at least one of her dogs.