A 25-year-old restaurant worker was mauled to death by a lion in Gujarat's Amreli district, with several body parts of the victim eaten by the animal, officials reported on Tuesday.
Incident Details
Locals discovered the victim's severed head and other body parts near an approach road close to Kovaya village in Amreli district, under the Rajula forest range, early Tuesday morning. The victim, a native of Uttarakhand, worked at a local restaurant.
Assistant Conservator of Forests Viralsinh Chavda stated that a pride of four lions has been moving in the area. Efforts are underway to cage all of them, as one is suspected to have killed the man.
Chavda said, "After receiving the message at 6 am today, local beat guards and forest officials reached the spot. Prima facie, it was found that the man was killed by a lion, with a pride of four lions seen in nearby areas. We are working to rescue them all."
Sequence of Events
According to locals, the victim left the hotel after work late at night and was walking home when a lion attacked him in a nearby bush. His remains were found in the morning, prompting calls to the police and forest department.
Kovaya village sarpanch Jeena Lakhnotra noted that a similar incident had occurred in the nearby Bhakodar village.
Political Response
Rajula MLA Hira Solanki expressed grief and stated he has written to the state forest department requesting an increase in forest staff to prevent such incidents. Solanki said, "The way humans are falling prey to lions is a matter of great sorrow for us. I request the government to increase the number of forest staff as the lion population has grown, so such incidents can be stopped."
