Forest Dept Staffer Injured in Lion Attack in Amreli

Amreli: A forest department employee was injured in a lion attack in Bagasara town of Amreli district on Wednesday afternoon, forest officials said.

Mahesh Matiya, a helper with the forest department in his 40s, sustained minor injuries to his back and was discharged from hospital on Thursday.

The incident occurred in a cotton field on the outskirts of Bagasara, where farm workers spotted the lion and alerted forest officials. Matiya subsequently visited the field to confirm the animal’s presence.

According to Range Forest Officer J N Vala, the dense cotton crop made it difficult to spot the lion, causing Matiya to approach the animal inadvertently.

“The lion was probably disturbed by the noise made by the farm workers and attacked our staff member when he came too close,” Vala said.

Matiya was taken to a hospital for treatment and discharged the following day. Forest department personnel are continuing efforts to rescue the lion, Vala added.