While lion sightings in human settlements are rare incidents, it is not so uncommon in forests or railway tracks surrounding Gujarat.
A video capturing a lion, moving along a railway track near Gujarat’s Junagarh, has surfaced online. The video was reportedly shot by locals in Palasva village, located around 6 kilometres from Gujarat’s Junagarh, late on Sunday night.
The 10-second video shows the lion running along the railway track. According to locals, three lions were seen running on the track and later, the big cats went back to the forest.
Gujarat is the world’s last abode of Asiatic lions and Girnar forests is home to more than 50 free-ranging Asiatic lions. Lions are usually spotted in this region in the dead of the night.
The lions are now distributed in nine districts of the state – Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Botad, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Rajkot and Surendranagar – covering around 30,000 square km of area, which is termed the Asiatic Lion Landscape.
In another incident, a pack of 14 lions were recently seen crossing the Ambardi Safari Park Road in Gujarat.
Earlier this month, a pride of lions was rescued from a railway track in Gujarat’s Amreli and narrowly avoided a collision with a train because of the alertness of forest officials. The timely intervention by the Shatruji forest department saved the lives of nine lions and averted any other mishap.
(With inputs from Mahendra Prasad)
