Viral Video: Lions Hunt Cow in Amreli, Gujarat, Flee Before Officials Arrive

 

Lions Escape Before Officials Arrive, Startling Villagers in Gujarat

Amreli, Gujarat: A viral video captures a dramatic moment as a pride of lions hunts a cow along a road in Amreli, Gujarat. The 15-second clip, filmed by local villagers, shows four lions preying on the animal.

Late Sunday night around 11 pm, villagers gathered to witness the scene and quickly alerted forest department officials. However, the lions, startled by the villagers’ torches, fled before the officials could arrive.

"We saw a group of lions on the road as we were approaching Dhari village. The lions swiftly entered the village and attacked the cow," recounted farmer Rupesh Mordia.

Despite the villagers notifying the forest department, the lions retreated to the Sinho forest before the officials could reach the scene, driven away by the torches.

### Increasing Sightings of Lions in Villages

Incidents of lions wandering into residential areas and attacking domestic animals near the Gir forest border have become increasingly common.

In another recent event in Amreli's Chalala, a lion was seen sitting in the middle of the road as a vehicle approached. The driver recorded the encounter and shared it on social media. This incident occurred on Saturday.

Earlier this month, a pride of 14 lions was spotted crossing a highway in Gujarat. The video, taken by a tourist, shows the lions crossing Dhari town, capturing a rare moment as the Asiatic lions strolled across.

### The Last Refuge of Asiatic Lions

Gujarat is home to the last population of Asiatic lions, primarily residing in the Girnar forests, which house over 50 free-ranging lions. These majestic creatures are often seen in the region during the late hours of the night.

The Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, known as Sasan-Gir, is the last sanctuary for Asiatic lions. This compact area of dry deciduous forest and open scrublands in southwestern Saurashtra is their final stronghold.

Currently, the lions are spread across nine districts in Gujarat: Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Botad, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Rajkot, and Surendranagar. This area, covering approximately 30,000 square kilometers, is designated as the Asiatic Lion Landscape.