Almost two months after 23 Asiatic lions died in Gujarat’s Gir forest following an outbreak of canine distemper virus (CDV), the State lost three more big cats on Monday midnight when they were mowed down by a goods train in Amreli district. Since September, the country has lost 35 lions, including cubs in and around the Gir forest, the only abode of the endangered predators.
The rail incident occurred near Borala village in Savarkundla taluka when a pride of six lions was walking along the railway track passing from the village, which is located near the Gir Forest. The animals were sub-adults in the age group of 1.5-2 years.
“A goods train, headed to Pipavav port from Botad, hit three of six lions of the pride during midnight, which led to the death of two lions and a lioness,” said Chief Conservator of Forests, Junagadh wildlife circle, DT Vasavada. He said an enquiry has been ordered by the Gujarat Forest Department.
“We will enquire if the train was moving at a high speed which could have led to this unfortunate incident. We will also probe whether the forest staff or the lion trackers were at fault in discharging their duties. Stringent action will be taken against the guilty,” he added.
Sources said that forest staff had been tackling the rest three members of the lion pride to ensure that they do not come near the tracks in search of the missing three sub-adults.
According to the 2015 census, Gir has 523 lions, including 109 male, 201 female, 73 sub-adults, and 140 cubs. Since September, 35 lions have died: Some due to natural cause, many others fell prey to CDV and Protozoa infections and during territorial fights.
Gir (east) forest division falls under Junagadh wildlife circle. Boarala is a village located in Savarkundla taluka of Amreli district. It is adjacent to Chandgadh and Liliya where Asiatic lions have settled in reserve forest and thickets in private revenue land.
The railway tracks on which the accident took place connect Pipava port on sea coat in Rajula taluka of Amreli district to Surendranagar junction. The busy broad-gauge railway tracks are owned by Pipavav Railway Corporation Limited (PRCL), a joint venture between Indian Railways and Gujarat Pipavav Port Limited, a private firm which owns and operate the Pipava port.
The Pipavav port is one of the biggest ports of Gujarat in terms of handling containerised cargo. The railway line has the capacity to handle 21 trains every day.
Around six Asiatic lions died after being hit by moving goods train in Rajula range of Amreli social forestry division and Savarkundla range between 2014 and 2015. After the fatalities, the forest department had erected chain-linked fencing on either side of the track over a stretch of around 10-km from near the Pipavav port onward to Rajula town. However, fencing is not there in Borala where the latest incident took place, said the officials.
Asiatic lions are an endangered species and their only wild population in the world is surviving in Gir forest and other protected areas spread across Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Amreli and Bhavnagar districts in Saurashtra region of Gujarat State. Their population was estimated to be 523 during the lion census conducted in 2015. Of this, 174 was recorded in Amreli district alone. The carnivores have settled in Liliya and Krakach area of Amreli district for the last 15 years as their population grew in protected forest areas. Being territorial animals, the big cats looked for abodes outside.
