Khambha: A 35-year-old farmer, Mangabhai Boghabhai Bareya, was tragically killed by a lioness in his field in Kakardi Moli village, part of the Jasaddhar range in the Dhari Gir East forest division, Amreli district.

According to locals, Bareya was working in his field when the lioness attacked him, dragged him away, and mauled him to death. Despite villagers gathering at the scene, the lioness refused to relinquish the body.

The forest department team from Jasaddhar range, led by RFO L.D. Bharwad, reached the spot following the incident. Senior forest officials, including DCF Vikas Yadav and SCF Kapil Bhatia, also arrived to oversee the operation.

The team attempted to retrieve Bareya’s body using tractors and vehicles, while simultaneously launching a rescue operation to capture the “man-eater” lioness.

The incident highlights the increasing number of human-animal conflicts involving lions and leopards in the revenue areas of the Dhari Gir East region. Locals claim that the forest department’s patrolling in these areas is inadequate, leading to a rise in such attacks. They further allege that forest guards, foresters, and other staff members are not conducting regular patrols in the revenue areas, and some employees are commuting from outside the district instead of residing at the headquarters. DeshGujarat