‘World’s most legendary lioness’: A befitting tribute for Collarwali in Amreli

Purvesh Kacha, a Junagadh-based anesthetist who has been researching on Asiatic lions, said that the project was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “But eventually, we got a lifesize statue of Rajmata cast at the workshop of a firm in Junagadh. We gave the artists photos to help them prepare the statue,” Kacha said.
He added the statue has been cast using fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) and that the entire project has cost approximately Rs 2 lakh.

While Rajmata literally means queen mother, the lioness was also called ‘Collarwali’ due to a radio collar fitted around her neck by researchers of the Wildlife Institute of India in 2008.

The statue has been installed on a pedestal approximately nine feet high and it shows Collarwali with one of the 15 cubs she had given birth to
during her life spanning almost 19 years.

Generally, Asiatic lions live for 12 to 15 years in the wild but Rupaprara said that Rajmata gave birth to a cub when she was already around 18 years old. “She had seven litters, delivering 15 cubs in all. She was among the first few generations of lions born in Krankach after Asiatic lions started dispersing from Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary and settled in revenue areas of Amreli, including in Krankach in the 1990s,” he added.

Forest officers have welcomed the installation of the memorial. “While I have not seen the memorial, it shows how much people of that area love and respect lions,” said Aradhna Sahu, chief conservator of forests of Junagadh Wildlife Circle. Krankach is part of Junagadh Wildlife Circle and the nearest protected area, Antalya Vidi, is around 10 km away.

Rajan Joshi, a wildlife enthusiast from Lilia taluka where the village is located, said the statue is a befitting tribute to the legendary lioness. –“She was easily identifiable thanks to the collar around her neck. She had established her territory there and successfully raised several cubs, establishing a lion kingdom of sorts in Krankach and therefore, she was known as Rajmata,” Joshi said.

Bavadi’s Dungar is among the tallest hillocks in the area. “The hillock was among the favourite resting places of Rajmata,” Joshi said, adding, “The memorial is visible from a distance of two km and is near the Krankach-Bavadi approach road.”

The hillock is part of a government wasteland along the bank of Shetrunji river.

Mahendra Khuman, former deputy sarpanch of Krankach and a wildlife enthusiast, said that most of the lions settled in Krankach today are Rajmata’s progenies or her descendants. “She seemed very special since she was a sub-adult and thanks to her, lions are thriving in Krankach today,” said Khuman. “She lived for very long but never harmed any human. This was one reason why she was popular among residents of Krankach and nearby villages,” Bharat Helariya, who was sarpanch of Krankach when Collrwali died on August 15, 2020, said.