Another Gir pride loses three cats as train runs over

After losing as many as 23 Asiatic lions in a section of the Gir forest area in recent times, another set of three lions from a pride lost their lives as speeding goods train run them over in the wee hours of Tuesday.

The Gujarat Forest Department has ordered an inquiry into the circumstances leading to the accident.

A goods train travelling in Savarkundla range of Amreli, moving on the track en route to Pipavav from Botad in the wee hours of Tuesday, ran over two males and a female lion, killing them on the spot, forest officials said.

A pride of six lions was moving along the tracks out of which one male lion aged around 2 years, while another male and a female both aged around 1.5 years were killed.

"This unfortunate accident took place in revenue area near Barola village under Savarkundala range of the East Gir forest. We have ordered an inquiry into the accident. It will take some time to get the exact details about how the accident took place. We have also sought information from the railway authorities about the speed of train," said D.T. Vasavada, the Chief Conservator of Forest, Junagadh and spokesperson for the Forest Department.

"Our men from forest are keeping a close eye over the rest of the three lions of the pride to ensure that they don't come near the railway tracks where their kin got killed," Vasavad told IANS.

--IANS

amit-desai/nir