AHMEDABAD: A lioness has triggered panic near Arjansukh village in Amreli district of Gujarat, after allegedly attacking five people, including a Forest Department guard, within hours.
The attacks, which began late Thursday night, prompted an emergency search and rescue operation, while frightened farmers abandoned their fields amid growing concerns over human-wildlife conflict.
A lioness went on an attack spree near Arjansukh village in Vadiya taluka of Gujarat’s Amreli district, injuring five people, including a Forest Department guard, as efforts to capture the animal turned chaotic.
The successive attacks, reported between midnight and Wednesday morning, have sparked widespread panic among villagers, particularly farmers working in the fields during the peak agricultural season.
The first attack occurred around midnight on October 1, when two youths from Tori village, Mehul Vaja and Bhagirath Basiya, were returning home on a motorcycle after attending an event in the Panchem area of Arjansukh village.
While travelling between Arjansukh village and Arjansukh junction, the lioness suddenly charged at them, causing their motorcycle to skid and fall. Consequently, one youth sustained injuries to his arm, while the other suffered a leg injury. Both were rushed to hospital through the 108 emergency ambulance service.
However, the situation worsened early the next morning when the lioness allegedly attacked two more people working in nearby agricultural fields. The victims were identified as Hari Vasoya and Atul Pokal, taking the number of civilian victims to four.
Recounting the terrifying encounter, Atul said he was working in his farmland when the lioness suddenly emerged from the cotton crop and attacked him. He added that he learnt from the 108 ambulance staff that he was the fourth person to be attacked by the same animal.
"I was working in my field when the lioness suddenly came charging out of the cotton crop and attacked me. When I reached the ambulance, I learnt that three people had already been attacked before me. One of the victims was working in a neighbouring agricultural field. I personally saw the lioness and am certain that the same animal attacked all of us," he said.
Meanwhile, the Forest Department launched an intensive search operation under the leadership of ACF Rajan Jadhav after receiving reports of repeated attacks. Following the discovery of the lioness's footprints, officials initiated a rescue operation with the assistance of a veterinary team to locate and capture the animal.
However, the operation took another dangerous turn when the lioness allegedly attacked Forest Department guard Aniruddh Vala, taking the total number of people injured in the incidents to five.
Expressing concern over the escalating human-wildlife conflict, Arjansukh village Sarpanch Kalubhai said attacks by wild animals, particularly lions and leopards, had increased significantly in the area over the past three to four years.
He said four farmers had been attacked between nightfall and 10 am, including two members of the Darbar community from Tori village and two agricultural workers from Arjansukh.
The Sarpanch further pointed out that the attacks had severely disrupted agricultural activities, with farm labourers fleeing their workplaces and returning to the village out of fear.
"Farmers are currently in the middle of the peak agricultural season, but labourers are abandoning their work and running back to the village because of repeated attacks and the fear of lions and leopards. The Forest Department must immediately capture the lioness and prevent further attacks," he said.
All the injured victims have been shifted to Amreli Civil Hospital for treatment.
With the lioness continuing to pose a threat to people in the area, villagers have demanded urgent intervention by the Forest Department. Meanwhile, the rescue operation remains crucial to preventing further encounters between humans and wildlife.
