Two rare Asiatic lions found dead in village well in Gir

Junagadh, Mar 17 (UNI) Two rare Asiatic lion cubs were today found dead in a village well in Khamba sector of Gir forests.

The cubs, barely a year-old, were found floating in the well of one Chhaganbhai Patel's compound in Rabarika village, about 25 km from Khamba.

The bodies were taken out by the forest authorities and sent for post-mortem.

The news comes on the heels of the killing of three Asiatic lionesses by poachers in the Babaria range of the Gir sanctuary.

Their decomposed bodies were found by forest authorities on March 3, with all their bones and claws ripped off.

Last month too, two lions and a leopard had fallen to death in open wells. Forest Minister Mangubhai Patel had recently told the Assembly that 37 incidents of lions falling in open wells had been reported and of these 18 lions were saved.

Sasan Gir in Junagadh district, is the only abode of Asiatic lions in the world. There are around 350 lions at the last count and the numbers are fast dwindling.

UNI