Ahmedabad:
In a bizarre attempt to find out a man-eater that killed 3 people in Gujarat, 18 male lions have been put on trial. If any one of these is found guilty, he will be sentenced to life in zoo. All the suspects are Asiatic lions and the species is endangered.
There has been a decline in the population of Asiatic lions, human settlements on its remaining habitat is to be blamed. Hence, in this process, these lions and humans are more likely to come into contact, which may lead to killings both ways.
Around 400 Asiatic lions are left in the wild and this is the only population outside Africa. According to Indian wildlife officials, almost all these lions live in Gir National Park, which can accommodate 270 of them. This forces some of them to venture outside its boundaries.
Recently, the Supreme Court of India had ordered Gujarat to shift some of its lions to other states, but the state is yet to comply.
The paw-prints and feces of these 18 lions in custody will now be tested in order to find out the culprit.
"The officials are also studying the animals' behaviour. Man eating lions usually get aggressive at the sight of a human being," wildlife expert Ruchi Dave told the BBC.
J.A. Khan, Gujarat's top forest official, said, "We think we have pinpointed the guilty lion, but we are still awaiting the results of nine more animals." Once identified, the guilty lion will be sent to a zoo, while others will be released back into the wild.
