Five-year-old lion's body found in Gir forest

23-04-2011
Five-year-old lion's body found in Gir forest
Hindustan Times
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Five-year-old-lion-s-body-found-in-Gir-forest/Article1-688901.aspx

In a suspected case of poaching, the caracass of a five-year-old lion was found from Talaja area of the district, Gujarat forest department officials said on Saturday. Officials suspect the lion was killed as the claws were missing, they said adding the animal might have been killed four to five day s ago.

Top officials of Gir forest area rushed to the spot where the body was found. Forensic experts from Directorate of Forensic Science Gandhinagar were also called.

The body of the lion has been sent for postmortem, they said.

"Once the reports of postmortem and forensic experts are received, we will be able to say what had actually happened to the lion," forest officials said.

Poaching is rare in Gir sanctuary but the forest department had last week arrested a man for killing two lioness from Dhari range of the forest in Amreli district after poisoning their food.

Gir is the last abode of Asiatic lions where as per the census of 2010, there were more than 410 lions.