Lioness found dead in suspicious circumstances near Gir forest

The body of a six-year-old lioness was found in a well in Fifat village of Savarkundla taluka of the district near the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, with forest department officials suspecting foul play in the death.
"The body of a lioness was found in the well of a farm at Fifat village. Injury marks were found on her body after it was inspected," state forest department officials said.
"It was revealed that the animal's neck was caught in a trap laid by the farm owner to stop wild animals from entering his field," officials said.
"The body was later dragged to the well and thrown inside it to make it look like an accidental death due to drowning," officials said.

The forest department has registered a case and started probing the issue, they said.