Body of 3 lion cubs found close to Gir forests in Gujarat, forest department terms it in-fight deaths

Amreli: Close on heels of the death of 23 lions in Dalkhaniya range of Gir forests in Amreli district and finding the body of another lion in a revenue area of Junagadh district, the body of 3 cubs have been found in Khadadara village in Amreli district close to the Gir Sanctuary.

CCF D T Vasavada said that the bodies of one male and 2 female cubs, all aged between 4 to 6 months, have been found in a revenue area at a distance of around 200 meters from the sanctuary in Khadadara village under Khamba taluka of Amreli district.

‘The deaths have nothing to do with the earlier disease caused deaths in Dalkhaniya and these are clear cases of in-fight deaths. A blue bull’s dead body has also been found nearby. A group of one male, two female and 4 cubs was living in the area and two outsider lions were also seen. The marks of claws and teeth on the bodies of dead cubs shows that it was a case of in-fight death,’ he said.

Notably after the death of 23 lions of a pride in Dalkhaniya between September 12 to October 2 many of whom had died due to deadly canine distemper virus, another around 2 to 3 year old male lion was found dead in a farm land in Kalavad village under Visavadar taluka of Junagadh on October 13.

Of the 23 lions of a single pride who died between September 12 to October 2 in Sarasiya vidi area of Dalkhaniya range, many had died to the deadly CD virus which had in 1991 wiped out 1000 or around 25% of the total population of African lions in an East African country.

Notably, in a close by area yesterday a man of cattle growing tribe living in forest had attacked and injured a lioness.

DeshGujarat