11 lions found dead in Gir forest: No foul play, deaths due to territorial fights, says forest officer

Read | 11 lions found dead in Gir forest in 10 days, Gujarat government orders probe

According to Sinha, “Lion is a territorial animal that lives in prides. Each pride is controlled by one male lion. When the main lion of the pride becomes weak due to illness or other reason, lions of other territories enter the pride (to gain its control). And it is a common tendency that when a new lion gains control of the pride, he kills the cubs and sub-adults and take charge of female animals.” “Many times, when a new lion gains control of a pride, the lionesses and sub-adults escape from the pride and live in isolation to save their lives. And in such a scenario, they face shortage of food and die of infection following starvation”.

Sinha also said that they have observed injury marks on the dead lions, which are identical to the ones they get in infighting and not to the ones they get when attacked by people during man-animal conflict.

As per the Forest Department press release, three lions died from infighting and the same number from respiratory and/or hepatic (relating to the liver) failure, while the postmortem reports of five other lions were awaited. Sinha said, “Primarily, all 11 deaths are result of territorial fights.”

To pre-empt any more deaths due to territorial fights, five adult lions/lionesses from the region have been rescued and kept separately as a precautionary measure. “In addition to that, to check presence of any disease, screening of the entire region will be done,” he added.

As per 2015 census of Gujarat Forest Department, Gir is home to 523 Asiatic lions.

The government on Thursday had ordered an inquiry into the deaths. Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (wildlife) A K Saxena is conducting the inquiry.