Tag: Gir forest

  • Gujarat: 12 booked after video shows lion being lured with cow as bait for illegal ‘show’

    By PTI

    JUNAGADH: The Gujarat forest department has registered an FIR against 12 persons after a viral video showed a group of people gathered to watch an “illegal show” in which a lion is seen killing and feasting on a cow that was tied to a pole and used as a bait at a village in Gir forest of Junagath, an official said on Sunday.

    As per the investigation conducted into the incident so far, this illegal show was organised at a village in Devaliya range of Gir forest on November 8, he said.

    The Gir forest national park and wildlife sanctuary, also known as Sasan-Gir, is known as the “last abode” of Asiatic lions.

    “We have filed an FIR against 12 unidentified persons and three persons have been detained for questioning. The action was taken on the basis of a video which shows a group of people gathered to watch an Asiatic lion kill a cow tied to a pole. The organiser used the cow as bait to attract the lion for the illegal lion show,” Deputy Conservator of Forest (Junagadh), S K Berwal said.

    In the video, the lion is seen feasting on the carcass even as the people in the group watch it from a distance.

    Some of them are seen recording the show on mobile phones.

    “It is a classic case of a lion show, where someone set up a bait to attact the lion. Investigation so far has revealed that the show was organised on November 8, and we are trying to determine whether the participants were also from outside. Further investigation is underway to arrest the main accused in the case,” Berwal said.

    The accused persons have been booked under various sections of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, including sections pertaining to hunting (section 9), the official said.

    Earlier this year, a court in Gir Somnath had sentenced six people to three years in jail for harassing an Asiatic lion by organising one such show.

    The video showed a man luring a lioness by dangling chicken as bait.

  • Leopard kills elderly man at village in Gujarat’s Gir forest

    By PTI
    AMRELI: A 75-year-old man was mauled to death by a leopard at a village in Gir forest of Gujarat’s Amreli district, a forest official said on Wednesday.

    Manubhai Savaliya’s body was recovered from a farm in Amrutpur village in Dalkhaniya range of Gir East division forest in the morning hours, deputy conservator of forests (DCF), Gir East, Anshuman Sharma said.

    “The partially-eaten body of a man killed by a leopard was found at a farm. Forest officials rushed to the spot and the police were also informed,” the official said.

    The village is surrounded by a reserved forest area with a sizable leopard population, he said.

    According to officials, it is suspected that the victim was mentally ill and was kept chained in the farm.

    The forest officials are trying to confirm this. Cages have been set up in the area to trap the predator, it was stated.