Guj: 9 fined Rs 35,000 for harassing lion hunting cow

Nine people were fined Rs 35,000 in Junagadh in Gujarat for subjecting a lion to distress while it was hunting a cow, and filming the incident inside a prohibited area of the forest, an official said on Sunday.

The incident took place in Mendarda range of Junagadh forest division on November 7 and the video shot by those fined had gone viral on social media, he said.

While no one is seen in the video, these persons can be heard shouting to shoo off the lion, even as the big cat was busy trying to devour its prey, an official said.

"A group going to Kodinar saw a lion hunting a cow by the Sasan-Junagadh road. They stopped their vehicle, tried to harass the lion and put it in distress, all the while filming the incident on a mobile phone," said Mendarda Range Forest Officer SB Khambla.

On the basis of the viral video, the forest department managed to zero in on nine persons who were fined Rs 35,000 for harassing the lion and entering an unauthorised part of the forest, Khambla informed.