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Three Gir lions killed in train accident

Two male lions and one female, part of a pride of six, died. The train involved in the accident was a goods train travelling to Pipavav from Botad.

Gopi Maniar  AhmedabadDecember 18, 2018 UPDATED: December 18, 2018 11:18 IST

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Gujarat is the last refuge of the Asiatic lion. (File photo: Reuters)
HIGHLIGHTS

• Accident took place at 12.45 am on December 18
• Enquiry about train's speed, negligence of trackers, forest staff is ongoing
• This follows the deaths of nearly 2 dozen lions earlier this year
  

As if a spate of lion deaths earlier this year wasn't enough, there's now more bad news from the big cat's last refuge in Asia: Gujarat. Early this morning at around 12.45 am, a train ran over and killed three lions near Borala, a village in the Gir east division. Reportedly, carcasses of the three big cats were found lying by the railway tracks the next morning. A goods train, headed for Pipavav port had hit three out of a group of six lions that were walking by the tracks. Three Asiatic lions were reportedly mowed down by a goods train in Borala village which is located in Gir forest in Gujarat’s Amreli district. The incident occurred on the night of December 17.
Two male lions and one female, part of a pride of six, died. The train involved in the accident was a goods train travelling to Pipavav from Botad.
A enquiry is being conducted about the train's speed and the negligence of trackers and forest staff. At Least 35 Deaths In Three Months tenure.

Quote:The International Union for Conservation of Nature has said India's lions are "the only living representatives of the lions once found throughout much of South-West Asia".

Gujarat's lions live in areas that include the Gir National Park, and -- according to a revised classification -- belong to a subspecies that includes populations in Africa. (Learn more about these magnificent cats here.)
How many Indian lions are left in the wild? A count made last year pegged the number at 650, but that was before nearly two dozen lions died earlier this year.

Quote:"The current crisis [the deaths of 23 lions] has revived the debate over the relocation of the exploding lion population at Gir. The Gujarat government has been resisting their relocation to the Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as Palpur-Kuno, in Madhya Pradesh -- as ordered by the Supreme Court way back in 2013, taking cover behind the plea that lions would be at risk in Kuno as the sanctuary isn't adhering to guidelines laid down by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)...Top wildlife experts, however, feel that relocating a few prides to Kuno sanctuary is critical for the long-term protection of the Asiatic lion."

Quote:D.T. Vasavada, Chief Conservator of Forest, Junagadh Wildlife circle as saying, “We will probe whether the train was moving at a high speed. We will also probe whether the forest staff or lion trackers failed to discharge their duties.” He added that stringent action will also be taken against those who are found to be guilty. Two lions and a lioness in the age group of 1.5-2-year-olds were found dead.

Most of the lions in the Amreli district are seen moving around in non-protected areas. D.T. Vasavada has said that three stretches near the railway tracks where the lions move the most have been fenced, however, regular movement of lions near the stretch where the incident had occurred was not seen.
Divisional commercial manager (DCM), Bhavnagar division reportedly said that the goods train was moving at a normal speed of 50 to 55km per hour.
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/th...2018-12-18
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