Lioness hit by train in Gujarat's Amreli dies; 3rd incident this month

Amreli: A lioness hit by a train at a forest in Gujarat's Amreli district four days back died during treatment on Wednesday, officials said.

This is the third death of a big cat this month after being hit by a train in the district.

In the latest incident, the lioness was injured after getting hit by a passenger train near Doliyia village in Rajula taluka of Amreli district on January 20.

It was shifted to Shakkarbaug zoo in Junagadh district where it died on Wednesday while undergoing treatment, a forest department official said.

On January 3, a lioness was injured after being hit by a goods train near Vijapadi village in Gir (East) forest division of Amreli.

It was rescued, provided with primary treatment and later shifted to Shakkarbaug zoo where it died on January 11 while undergoing treatment, an official earlier said.

On January 12, a lion died after getting hit by a train near Amrutvel village in the same division of Amreli district, the official said.

Expressing concern over the feline deaths, state forest minister Mulu Bera on Wednesday said directions have been issued to reduce the speed of trains passing through the wildlife areas and also increase the height of fencing along the railway tracks.

"To prevent such incidents, forest department officials have held meetings and we are sensitive about such deaths. We have decided to take prompt action to prevent such incidents in the coming days," Bera told reporters.

As per a government report in 2020, the population of Asiatic lions in Gujarat rose nearly 29 per cent to 674 from 523 in five years from 2015, while the distribution area of the lions went up 36 per cent.

In a reply to a question in the state assembly in February 2023, Bera said out of 240 lion deaths reported in the state in two years in 2021 and 2022, 26 fatalities were due to unnatural causes such as the big cats getting hit by vehicles or falling into open wells.