Lion Attacks Farmer in Gujarat's Bhavnagar District

Gujarat. On the morning of July 6, a lion attacked a farmer named Kalubhai Parmar in Garajiya village of Bhavnagar district. He was injured in this.

According to villagers, due to serious injuries, the injured Kalubhai was admitted to Sir Takhtsinhji General Hospital in Bhavnagar city, 60 kilometers away, for treatment.

This is reportedly the second attack by a lion on a person in Bhavnagar district. Earlier, on June 18, the body of a young man named Nagjibhai Gujaria was found in a bush near his house in Gadhada village of Mahuva taluka, connected to Palitana taluka.

Nagjibhai's family claimed that his death was due to a lion attack.

• How did the person fall into the lion's claws?

According to Kalubhai, who informed the media from the hospital, the incident happened around 8:30 am on Monday while he was at his home.

Kalubhai said, 'I was going to give water to my cow around 8:30 in the morning, there was a lion sitting there. It attacked me from there. First, it knocked me down by hitting my shoulder. Then it put my hand in its mouth. It held me for about half an hour. Then I petted it, and only then did it leave me.'

Confirming the attack, Deputy Conservator of Forests of Shetrunji Wildlife Department, Chirag Amin, informed the BBC that a lion attacked a farmer in Garajiya village, injuring him.

According to Kalubhai, about 50 years old, the locals had informed the forest department. But the forest department team could not reach Garajiya before the lion left.

In the video shot during the attack, people around can be seen shouting and throwing stones at the lion.

• How did the lion let go?

According to Kalubhai, the lion did not let go of him easily, and the villagers could not help much.

The video shows the lion suddenly leaving Kalubhai and going away. According to Kalubhai, the lion went towards the cows after leaving him.

However, according to information given to the BBC by village elder Karamsibhai Chauhan, the lion left without harming Kalubhai's two cows.

Karamsibhai said, 'The lion suddenly entered the village and went towards the cows of Kalubhai's neighbor and ran towards them. But the buffaloes showed their horns, and the lion ran away from there. Then it went towards Kalubhai's house, where two cows were tied. But instead of the cows, it attacked Kalubhai. Finally, it ran towards the cows after leaving Kalubhai. However, later it ran away from there without harming the cows.'

Karamsibhai's wife, Jikuben, is the current Panchayat head of Garajiya village. Karamsibhai said, 'Kalubhai was injured on his neck, shoulder, and hand in the attack. He was initially taken to a hospital in Palitana for treatment. But the doctors there said that due to the severity of the injuries, he had to be taken to Bhavnagar.'

• Why did the lion attack?

Garajiya village is located at the foothills of the Shetrunjay mountain. It is about five kilometers from Palitana city. According to local forest department officials, Shetrunjay mountain is a reserved forest and lions and leopards live here.

This village falls under the Palitana range of the Shetrunji Wildlife Division.

Chirag Amin told the BBC, 'The day before, these lions had killed a person in Sonpari village near Garajiya. After killing the person, all three lions were going towards their den. As time passed, morning arrived, and the movement of people increased. There was also a young male lion in this herd of lions. It was clearly scared by the commotion caused by the people. In such a situation, it attacked a cattle owner. However, the lion did not try to kill him. The video of the incident shows that the lion injured the person and left him.'

According to a press release from the forest department, the lion attacked Kalubhai when he went to protect his livestock.

• Since when have lions been seen in this area?

Until the early 1990s, lions were only seen in the Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary. This forest is also called Gir forest. This forest is spread across the present-day Junagadh, Gir Somnath, and Amreli districts.

As the number of lions increased, in the mid-1990s, they started spreading outside the Gir forest. At that time, they were seen in Pania in Amreli.

Then, extending their territory along the banks of the Shetrunji river, the lions entered Lilia in Amreli. From there, they came to Mahuva taluka of Bhavnagar and have been living there for the past decade. Moving further from Mahuva, lions have also started living on and around the Shetrunjay mountain in Palitana taluka.

Last month, a video of a lion running away with the bag of a pilgrim climbing the steps of Shetrunjay mountain went viral on social media.

To rescue and protect lions and prevent human-lion conflict in revenue areas far from Gir forest with dense settlements, the state government formed the Shetrunji Wildlife Department in 2019. Employees were deputed from the forest department for this. The office of the Deputy Conservator of Forests for this department is in Palitana city.

Karamsibhai said, 'For the last three years, the number of lions coming around our village has increased. They keep troubling the livestock. But this is the first incident of a lion attacking a person.'

According to Deputy Conservator of Forests Chirag Amin, the forest department staff have located the three lions seen in Garajiya. Further action is being taken in this matter.

Amin said, 'Our staff are present at the hospital where the injured person has been admitted. They are also coordinating with the hospital.'

(Published by Collective Newsroom for BBC)