Lioness dies after touching electric fence at Gujarat farm; two held

Amreli, Aug 17 (PTI) Two farmers were arrested in connection with the death of a lioness who came into contact with an electric fence erected around their farmland at Untwala village in Gujarat's Amreli district, a Forest department official said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred in the Jasadhar forest range in the Gir East Wildlife division. The forest department came to know about the death of a lioness on the morning of August 13, said range forest officer (RFO), Jasadhar, LB Bharwad.

"A forest department team reached the spot and found that a lioness had died due to electric shock she suffered after touching the fence put around the farm. Electric current from a live wire used to light an outhouse near the farm touched the fence, making it deadlier," he said.

Farmers protect their crops using electric fences around their farmland to keep off wild animals, especially the Nilgai.

The carcass of the lioness, aged somewhere between 5-9 years, was sent for postmortem.

The two farmers, including the owner of the farm and a labourer working in the area, were arrested on August 14 and an FIR was registered against them under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, said Bharwad.

The accused were identified as Pravin Gohil and Lakhan Solanki. They were sent to judicial custody, he said. PTI COR KA NSK NSK