Junagadh: The dead bodies of two lion cubs and a lioness aged 9-12 years were found under suspicious circumstances near Maliya Hatina in Junagadh on Wednesday night. The bodies were found near the Kalindri River, and the cause of their deaths is currently unknown.

Prashant Tomar, DCF of Junagadh Forest Department, stated, “We have found three dead bodies of two lion cubs and a lioness (aged 9-12 years) in the Maliya Hatina range. We have recovered the bodies and they are being sent for postmortem. Only after the postmortem, we will ascertain whether the deaths were natural or unnatural, and proceed with further investigation.”

Between 2019 and 2023, 555 lion deaths were reported in Gujarat which is the last habitat of Asiatic lions. Five months ago, the central government reported to the Lok Sabha that over 100 lions died annually in Gujarat during this period, with the highest number, 124, occurring in 2020. DeshGujarat