Open farm wells, poachers threaten Gir lions’ survival

AHMEDABAD: In yet another painful development on Saturday, two lionesses were found dead due to drowning into an open well in a farmland in Rabarika village, about six km from Gir Sanctuary. 

The farmer is believed to have called the forest department on Saturday afternoon when the carcasses started stinking in the well. The lioness with an 18-month-old cub is believed to have fallen at least three days back. 

The man-animal conflict seems all set to destroy the endangered species of Asiatic Lions in their only abode at the Gir Sanctuary. As many as seven lion deaths have been reported in the past two weeks, three due to poaching and four due to falling into open wells.

“The government must urgently pass a mandate making it compulsory for farmers to build a barricade of 2.5 feet height costing Rs 12,000 per well. The farmers are wealthy landowners and can well afford the expense,” a source said. 

The most shocking incident is however the discovery of three carcasses with missing nails and bones. Initial investigations have revealed the emergence of a systematic poaching gang in Gir. 

“In recent times, Maldharis have unwittingly become the lions’ biggest enemies vying for the same resources - water and vegetation,” said Parbatbhai Ojha, sarpanch of Sutrapada village residing in the Gir forest’s periphery villages.

“The villagers will go to any extent to protect them. Poor farmers cannot afford to save wildlife at the cost of their own family,” Ojha decried.