Correspondent, Amreli

In yet another case of ‘man eating’, the third one in around two months, by the Asiatic lions of Gir forests in Amreli district of Gujarat, a lion killed an 11 year old boy in Aambardi village under
Dhari taluka of Amreli district in the wee hours today.

It also injured the father of the deceased boy.

The body parts of Jayesh Malubhai Solanki, left after consumption by the beast,were later found at some distance. He was sleeping in the farm of one Najabhai when the lion from nearby forest caught him and took him away despite the unsuccessful attempt of his father Malubhai to save him. Malubhai was also injured in the incident and has been admitted to a hospital.

Earlier on April 10, a lioness had killed a 50-year old woman in Bharad village under Dhari taluka while she was sleeping in an orchard in the vicinity of the forests with his family members.

Prior to that on March 19, a 62-year-old man was also mauled to death by a lion in a similar manner when he was camping at Ambariya village of the district. In all the three cases the beasts ate up the flesh of the deceased.

Worried at the increasing instances of man eating by otherwise friendly Gir lions, the forest department was mulling the idea to capture a pride of over nine lions living in the area.

Earlier after the March incident, two lions were captured and human bone and a part of cloth of the deceased was detected in the stool of one of them in the animal care center in Sasan.

Amreli district in Gujarat is home to over 170 Asiatic lions as per the census conducted by state government last year.

– DeshGujarat