Lion cub falls in well at Amreli village, drowns

A lion cub died after it fell into an open agricultural well at Agariya village of Rajula taluka in Amreli district in the wee hours of Sunday. The incident comes around a month after a lion cub was mowed down by a railway engine in neighbouring Savarkundla taluka.

Forest rangers received information at around 2 am about the lion cub falling in an open well on the farm of one Suresh Khuman at Mota Agariya village. A rescue team reached the spot immediately, lowered a charpoi in the 80-feet deep well and tried to nudge the 2 year-old male cub onto it. However, due to cold water, the cub had become too weak.

“As a last ditch effort, rescuers themselves climbed down the well. But, before they could secure it, the cub died due to drowning,” said an officer, who was part of the rescue team. Forest officers said that the 60-foot deep well was out of use.