In the past one year as many as 25 lions died due to unnatural reasons, revealed the State forest department in reply to a query raised through RTI application.
The causes of death of these lions were electrocution, road accident and drowning in well in and around Gir sanctuary, the last abode of Asiatic lions in Saurashtra region of Gujarat. The RTI was filed by Bhagavan Solanki, a resident of newly carve Gir-Somnath district.
As per the information revealed by the authority, total 95 Asiatic lions died from April 2015 to March 2016 and of them 25 died of unnaturally. Wildlife lovers would raise eyebrows due to the fact that during the corresponding period of previous year (2014-15) only 13 lions died because of unnatural reasons. In the current year 2016-17, more than 65 lions have been killed, said a source in the State forest department.
The last census of Asiatic lions conducted in 2015. As per the data availed after the census there were 523 Asiatic lions in and around Gir Sanctuary and Saurashtra region.