Representative image showing a lioness.
Credit: iStock Photo
Botad (Gujarat): A lioness died after falling into an open well at Itariya village in Gujarat’s Botad district, a forest official said on Wednesday.
The incident occurred on Tuesday night and forest officials rushed to the spot after being informed about it on Wednesday morning, said Range Forest Officer (Gadhada) IS Prajapati.
He said that the carcass of the big cat was brought out of the well and sent to an animal care centre for post-mortem.
“A lioness fell into an open, unprotected well belonging to a farmer at Itariya village in Gadhada taluka of the district on Tuesday night,” Prajapati said.
There have been many reports of deaths of Asiatic lions after falling into open wells in revenue areas around the Gir sanctuary, the only abode of the species, in Gujarat.
As many as 238 Asiatic lions, including cubs, died in Gujarat in 2022 and 2023, Minister of State for Forest and Environment Mukesh Patel had told the state assembly in February.
He attributed 29 deaths of the big cats to unnatural reasons like getting hit by vehicles or falling into open wells. He said the state had spent Rs 278 crore on the conservation of lions in the two years.
The government has also taken steps to prevent unnatural deaths of the big cats with measures like appointing trackers, setting up chainlinks around the Rajula-Pipavav railway track, radio collaring of lions, and constructing parapets on open wells in revenue areas around the Gir border, the House was told.
As per the last census conducted in 2020, Gujarat is home to 674 Asiatic Lions.