The torrential rain in Gujarat’s Saurashtra region has not only caused human loss but also killed several wild animals. In a major setback, several Asiatic lions have been feared dead while many others have gone ‘missing’. The death of eight Asiatic lions has been confirmed while 35 others are yet to be traced in Krankach of the Amreli district of Gujarat.
According to a report published in The Pioneer, the Gujarat Forest Department on Friday recovered three carcasses of the Asiatic Lions on the banks of Shetrunj river while two more, a lion and lioness, were found dead a day before. The report said that the Asiatic lions have drowned in the stream of the river which flows alongside the Gir Wildlife sanctuary.
A month-old census had spread cheers across the country indicating a rise in the population of the Asiatic lions in Gujarat to 523 from 411 in 2010. The Asiatic Lion is an endangered species and is only found in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat.
In the disastrous rains, more than 80 people and over 1,000 animals, including deer, blue bulls and foxes, have been reportedly killed.
