Three Asiatic lions, from near Gir National Sanctuary, found to have turned man eaters, have been sentenced to life within a cage. A fully grown male lion would be kept in a zoo while the other sub-adult females would be sent to a forest rescue centre permanently, an official said on Wednesday.
"The male lion would be sent to Sakkarbaug Zoo (on the outskirts of Junagadh city) and two lionesses would be locked up in one of the forest department's rescue centre," Chief Convervator of Forests, Junagadh Division, AP Singh told reporters.
The forest department officials had laid a trap and captured an entire pride of 17 lions last one month after three persons — a 14-year-old boy, a woman aged around 50 and a 61-year-old man — were mauled to death by the felines in the region between April and May near the Gir sanctuary in Amreli district.
Of the 17 big cats, three were identified as 'man-eaters' after a thorough investigation. The forest officials took paw prints of the suspected lions and ordered a laboratory test of their excreta to pinpoint the real culprits.