16/12/2015

Lion electrocuted at farm, farmer arrested
The Times of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Lion-electrocuted-at-farm-farmer-arrested/articleshow/50198060.cms
RAJKOT/AHMEDABAD: A four-year-old Asiatic lion died after being electrocuted in a farm in Nitali village near Tulsishyam in Amreli district.

The carcass was found near the adjoining Nana Kothariya village and the post-mortem confirmed that it died due to electrocution two days ago.

The forest department has arrested the farmer, Ravji Patel, who had put up electric fencing to protect his crops from wild boars and blue bulls (nil gai).

"Patel has confessed that he put up the fencing," said R Nala, deputy conservator of forests, Gir-West division.
This is the second incident of lion death in electrocution. On September 12, a seven-year-old lioness was electrocuted near Amarapur village in Maliya-Hatina taluka of Junagadh district.

In all, at least eight lions have died unnatural deaths, either mostly by falling into open wells, in Amreli, Junagadh and Gir Somnath dis tricts, since January 10.

There are 523 lions in Saurashtra spread over Bhavnagar, Junagadh, Amreli and Gir-Somnath districts.

Lioness attacks tracker in Amreli

A lion tracker was badly wounded after being attacked by a lioness that had entered Samadhiyala village of Amreli district on Tuesday morning. The tracker, Shahid Khan Pathan, was accompanying a forest team in the rescue operation.