Pride of lions wander on the streets of Junagadh

A video of a pride of seven lions roaming the city roads in Junagadh near the Girnar Wildlife sanctuary has gone viral and is being widely shared. The video was captured by a passerby on Friday.

It is believed that the lions had come out in search of food. The pride of lions was guided back to the forest area after officials were informed of the same. The street dogs are heard barking in the background as the lions roam the streets. 

Meanwhile, on Twitter, netizens said that the lions coming to streets in the city was due to the floods and encroachment of their areas in the sanctuary.

After the video went viral Deputy Conservator of Forest (DCF) Junagadh Dr Sunil Kumar Berwal in a tweet said that the lions in the sanctuary were safe. 

“Rains or no rains the lions cross these part of Junagadh city at times of their own free will. It is a natural behaviour of the lions in Girnar,” said Berwal in a tweet.

Forest officials also said that the Girnar Taleti road is a natural corridor for the lions and the big cats often come out on the roads during the night. 

Apparently, the department, as a rule, keeps a tab on the movement of lions and when reported to be close to urban areas they are often ushered back to the sanctuary. Junagadh town is close to 100 km from the sanctuary to the wild. 

As per the last census in 2015, Gujarat is home to 523 lions spread over 22,000 sq km area spanning eight districts.

Strolling BIG Cats

• It is believed that the lions had come out in search of food 
• The pride of lions was guided back to the forest area after officials were informed of the same