Even as growing population of Asiatic lions in Gujarat’s Gir is becoming deadly for humans as well as cattle, the state government is in no mood to transfer them to other states.
The Gujarat Forest Department's 2020-21 report states that in man-animal conflict, 12 people lost their lives and 70 were injured, whereas 3,927 cattle were killed or injured in the Junagadh wildlife circle, which includes the Gir lion .
(Gujarat Forest Department)
A pride of 10 lions entered a gaushala and preyed on 10 cows in Arab Timbadi village of Jetpur taluka of Rajkot district early on Tuesday. A team of forest department that was tracking the pride, however, reached the spot and saved 25 other cattle heads in the gaushala.
This is the third instance of lions being spotted in Rajkot district in a month. Seven lions were found camping in Thanagalol village of Jetpur taluka, 10 km north of Arab Timbadi last month, and three lions killed 14 cattle earlier this month in Jasdan taluka.
Arab Timbadi is some 10 km from the border of the Gir Wild Life Sanctuary (GWLS). Spread across Junagadh, Bhesan and Visavadar talukas of Junagadh district, GWLS is home to a few dozen Asiatic lions. However, over the past few years, lions have been dispersing out of the protected forest areas to densely populated revenue areas.