Tragedy took place 40 kms from Gir forest
Two lionesses were mowed down by a speeding goods train outside Gir forest on Wednesday.
This was the first such incident in 15 years, as the forest department in Gujarat has been very successful in curbing animal deaths on railway tracks, despite the fact that a railway line connecting Junagadh and port town Veraval passes through the Gir Sanctuary.
The State minimised accidents by ordering all trains to slow down while passing through the forest after a couple of lions were mowed down by a train in Gir about 15 years ago.
Confirming the incident, Gujarat’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) CN Pandey said the accident occurred near Berai Village of Rajula area falling under Amreli district on the Pipavav-Surendranagar railway line.
Wednesday’s mishap took place on revenue land, around 40 kms from Gir forest as the increase in lion population has led to the big cats moving out of the forest every now and then in the past few years.
“We have sent a team of officials to the site of the mishap to analyse the incident. The forest department will not only try to find a solution to this problem but will also involve other authorities for the conservation of Asiatic lions. We will work out some strategy to curb such incidents even outside forest areas,” said the PCCF adding that lions can be seen in seven different locations in the State outside Gir Sanctuary and forest area because of the success of the lion conservation program.
As per the census of lions conducted in 2010, the number of Asiatic lions in Gujarat was 411, which included 97 males, 162 females and 152 cubs.
The census of lions is done every five years and due to the measures taken by the Gujarat Government for the conservation of lions, the numbers of the big cats have crossed the 450 mark, if sources in the forest department are to be believed.
According to Pandey the forest department is trying its best to reduce lion deaths through road as well as rail accidents, electrocution, falling into wells etc.
“The forest department has constructed parapet walls on more than 20,000 wells inside the Gir forest as well as in its periphery. We are in the process of covering more wells,” he said.