Lion found dead in private farmland in Gir forest

A sub-adult lion was found dead Monday in a private farmland in a village under the Gir forest division in Junagadh district of Gujarat, an official said.

The carcass is three to fours days old and was found near Hasnapur village in Visavadar range of the Gir (west) forest division, he said.

"A sub-adult lion aged between 2-3 years was found dead in a private farmland. The dead body was three to four days old and putrefaction had started," said a Gujarat forest department official.

He said nearby areas were scanned and no signs of unnatural death reported.

The carcass was sent for post-mortem which will ascertain the exact cause of the lion's death, the official said.

The death comes at a time when 23 lions have died in the Gir sanctuary, a majority of them due to viral and bacterial infections, since September 12, putting the state government in a spot of bother.

These deaths were reported from the Dalkhaniya range of the Gir (east) division in Amreli district.

Following the deaths, 33 lions were shifted to a rescue centre in the sanctuary and are being treated for possible infections, forest officials have said.

According to a 2015 census, Gir is home to 523 lions. Gir is the only area in Asia, where the endangered animal species is found in its natural habitat.

The Gir sanctuary, spread in an area of 1,153.42 sq km, is located across Junagadh and Amreli districts of Gujarat's Saurashtra region.