GG News Bureau
Amreli, 25th June: A five-year-old boy was mauled to death by a lion in Gujarat’s Amreli district on Wednesday afternoon, sparking renewed concerns over the growing presence of Asiatic lions in human-inhabited areas outside Gir National Park.
According to Forest Department officials, the child—identified as Gulsingh Harilal Ajnera, son of a labourer—was dragged away from a farm near Thordi village in Savarkundla range. His lifeless body was discovered about 100 metres from the spot.
Range Forest Officer (RFO) Pratap Chandu confirmed that a swift operation was launched to capture the lion. “The big cat was successfully caged by the evening and has been relocated to a nearby animal rescue centre,” he said.
This tragic incident comes amid the backdrop of a steady rise in Gujarat’s lion population, which has grown from 674 to 891 in the last five years, as per the latest wildlife census conducted in May 2025. While Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary remains the traditional habitat of Asiatic lions, the census revealed that 507 of the estimated 891 lions now reside outside the protected area across 11 districts of the Saurashtra region.
Amreli is one of these districts, although it is not part of the Gir reserve. Other districts reporting lion presence include Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Morbi, Surendranagar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Porbandar and Botad.
The increasing movement of lions into agricultural and human settlement zones has raised alarms among local residents and conservationists alike, with experts calling for a review of current habitat and conflict mitigation strategies.
Forest officials have urged people living in fringe areas to remain vigilant and avoid movement during early morning and late evening hours. Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the boy’s death are ongoing, and compensation procedures for the victim’s family have been initiated.
