18-year-old labourer killed in attack by lions in Amreli

According to Khambha police, Bhaydesh Paiya, a migrant agricultural labourer from Madhya Pradesh, was attacked by a pair of Gir lions when he and his family members were returning to their farm cottage after work at around 6 pm on Saturday.

“The victim, his sister and other family members were returning to their cottage when a lion and a lioness suddenly emerged from bushes on the bank of rivulet in the village. The lion suddenly attacked him from behind and started dragging him towards a nearby mango orchard. The lioness also grabbed the labourer later on, killing the victim on the spot,” said Rajdeepsinh Jhala, Deputy Conservator of Forests of Gir (east).

Jhala said that the lions dragged Paiya into the mango orchard of Madhubhai Vala even as his family members cried for help.

“Our staff reached the spot soon but by that time, the victim had been killed. We could recover only body parts of the victim, suggesting the lions had eaten the victim,” the DCF said.

The mortal remains of the victim were taken to the community health centre in Khambha for post-mortem and Khambha police said they have registered a case of accidental death.

“The two lions were displaying very aggressive behaviour while our staff was trying to rescue them after the incident. After attempts to bait the two big cats failed, we tranquilised the male lion early on Sunday morning and rescued him,” said Jhala. Later in the evening, the forest department managed to cage the lioness, too. Both the carnivores have been shifted to Ambardi Safari Park and have been put under observation.

Experts say lions generally do not attack human beings unless provoked or have cubs. Some say, lions behave aggressively while mating also.

The DCF said it was an unprovoked attack as the male lion caught hold of Paiya’s back. “It was an unprovoked attack. We didn’t spot any kill made by lions in that area nor were there any reports of other people having teased the lions,” Jhala said. “However, both the lion and the lioness are around eight years of age and in the prime of their youth. Apparently, they were mating. It is possible they could have attacked the labourer, perceiving him to be a disturbance in the matting. But lions eating body parts of humans after attacking them is very unusual.”

The incident comes a week after a lioness attacked and injured six persons in three different incidents in Nageshri village in Jafrabad taluka adjoining Khambha last Sunday. Hours after she was caged by the forest department, the lioness had died in Babarkot rescue centre.