Saturday, September 06, 2014

Adult Gir lioness dies after being hit by train

03-09-2014
Adult Gir lioness dies after being hit by train
The Economic Times
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/environment/flora-fauna/adult-gir-lioness-dies-after-being-hit-by-train/articleshow/41556524.cms

A six-year-old adult lioness died after it was hit by a speeding passenger train passing just five km outside the Gir Sanctuary. This was the seventh lion death this year due to train. Earlier, six were along the Rajula track which is constructed especially for the movement of goods from Pipavav Port.

Officials said that the accident on Tuesday was by a passenger train passing from Veraval and Delwada. The incident took place at around 7.10 in the night when the train had crossed the Kantheria station. The meter gauge train which was outside the sanctuary was moving at a speed when the driver spotted the lioness crossing the track. He immediately tried to apply the brakes but the lioness was hit by then.

''The passengers and the driver removed the lioness away from the track and informed the forest staff,'' said R Meena, chief conservator of forest.

He said that this was the train which was moving from Veraval and never entered the sanctuary and was reaching Delwada. He said that since the train did not pass through the sanctuary there was no speed restrictions.

Kasuladev Ramesh, deputy conservator of forest, Gir west said that the incident took place at a curve which was near a level-crossing. He said that the driver even tried to apply brakes but he could not save the lioness.

Earlier, after the Rajula incident, the forest department had held a meeting with the railway authorities and had decided to have barricades and also reduce the speed of the train in the area which had thick lion population.

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