7 buffaloes run over by train in Amreli

Officials of Bhavnagar division of Western Railway could not be reached for a comment even as sources said that farmers and cattle-herders don’t claim ownership of their livestock after such incidents. “If the owner of a buffalo or cow is identified after an incident of collision, the Railway books such owner for letting livestock lose on the tracks. Therefore, owners don’t claim such livestock heads,” said a source.

Forest officers said that they removed carcasses from the track. “The carcasses could attract Asiatic lions near the railway track. Therefore, our staff removed the carcasses from the railway line and dumped them at a safer place,” said Jayan Patel, Deputy Conservator of Forest of Shetrunji wildlife division. The area where the incident took place falls in Rajula range of the wildlife division.

Incidentally, two sub-adult male lions were killed after being hit by a goods train at Uchaiya village near Bherai last July. The deaths of buffaloes comes after a lioness was killed on the railway track between Rajula and Mahuva on Sunday evening. Six lions have been killed on railway tracks in Amreli over the last six months.