Amreli: In the sixth death of a Gir lion this month, the body of a lioness was found today in Amabliliyala area under Tulisishyam range of Gir East forest in Amreli district.

CCF Junagadh D T Vasavada said that the body of around 9 to 12 years old lioness was found from Rabarika round.

He said that primary reason of death seems to be natural. The exact reason would be known only after the post mortem.

Notably, this is sixth death of a Gir lion in November. Earlier bodies of a lion, a lioness and two cubs were found from different areas while an ill cub had died during treatment.

Prior to this month, on October 13 also the body of a lion was found in Visavadar area of Junagadh district while on October 22 bodies of three lion cubs were found in Khadadara village in Amreli district.

Notably, the 23 lions of a single pride had earlier died between September 12 to October 2 in Sarasiya vidi area of Dalkhaniya range of the Gir forest in Amreli district due to 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.

For all the big cats deaths after this, forest department ruled out such virus infection.

DeshGujarat