1 month ago
Gujarat Faces Surge in Lion Attacks
In Gujarat, India, there have been many lion attacks on people recently.
The government has caught 31 lions and said 7 are maneaters, which means they will stay in captivity.
One man, Kalubhai Parmar, survived an attack by calming the lion down.
Experts say the lions are attacking because people are bothering them.
The government is studying why this is happening.
Some people think the lions should not be called maneaters if they only attack once.
The number of lions in Gujarat has grown, but experts say the problem is not too many lions but people not living peacefully with them.
The government is working on solutions like better patrolling and creating more spaces for lions to live.
Gujarat has seen a surge in lion attacks, with at least nine incidents since last month, resulting in six deaths.
The Gujarat Forest Department has captured 31 lions and declared seven as maneaters, which will remain in captivity.
Experts suggest that the increase in attacks is due to human interference and harassment of lions.
The government is conducting a study with the Wildlife Institute of India to understand changes in lion behavior.
Some experts argue that declaring lions as maneaters after a single attack is unreasonable and not proper for wildlife management.
- Who
- Gujarat Forest Department, Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Maldharis (cowherds), Experts, Gujarat Government
- What
- Surge in lion attacks on humans, capture and relocation of lions, declaration of maneaters, study on lion behavior
- Where
- Gujarat, India, particularly in and around Gir forest, Palitana, Liliya, Girnar
- When
- Since last month, with recent incidents on July 6 and other dates
- Why
- Increased human-lion encounters due to expanding human presence, harassment of lions, and potential changes in lion behavior
Key facts
- Lions Captured
- 31
- Declared Maneaters
- 7
- Lion Population in Gujarat (2025)
- 891
- Core Area Lions
- 394
- Satellite Population Lions
- 497
- Lion Population in Gujarat (2020)
- 674
- Lion Attacks Since Last Month
- 9
- Deaths from Attacks
- 6
Quotes
Dushyant Vasavada
Former Chief Conservator of Forests (Junagadh Wildlife Circle).
“Man has gone into the area of the lion and is disturbing it. In most of the reported cases, lions were harassed. In Liliya, a youth was killed when he tried to capture mating lions on his phone. In Palitana, the lion attacked (Parmar) after it was harassed in a nearby village where it had captured a prey. In Girnar, a lion killed a boy after people flashed lights at it.”
indianexpress.com
“As per guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, a tiger is considered a maneater only when it repeatedly kills people and consumes them. Not if it does it once. If a lion has killed a person after the latter harassed it, such a lion should not be called a maneater. This is being done to pacify people, but it is not proper for wildlife management.”
indianexpress.com
Senior forest officer
A senior official in the Gujarat Forest Department.
“Generally, humans are not a part of a lion’s diet.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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