A one-month-old lion cub was found dead after allegedly getting entangled in a net installed in a farmer’s field near Vadhera village in Jafrabad taluka of Gujarat’s Amreli district, with preliminary findings pointing to suffocation as the cause of death.
The cub’s body was recovered from the field of a farmer, following which the Forest Department was alerted and a team rushed to the spot. Officials took possession of the carcass and sent it for postmortem examination as part of the investigation.
According to preliminary information, the cub became trapped in the net installed around the field. As it struggled to free itself, the net allegedly tightened around its neck, putting severe pressure on its throat and ultimately causing suffocation.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that the cub may have died a day before the information reached officials, triggering allegations that details surrounding the death were not disclosed immediately by the Forest Department.
Responding to the allegations, in-charge ACF Rajan Jadav told Local Media that the Forest Department team reached the spot immediately after receiving information about the cub’s death.
“Soon after we were informed, our team rushed to the location, took possession of the lion cub’s body and shifted it for postmortem examination. Further investigation into the incident has been initiated,” Jadav said.
The death has once again drawn attention to the risks faced by lions and cubs moving through areas where agricultural fields and wildlife habitats increasingly overlap.
Forest team recently saves injured lion
The latest cub death comes days after the Forest Department successfully rescued and treated a seriously injured male lion in another part of Amreli district.
The lion was found severely injured following an alleged fight between lions in the Wangadhra Revenue area under the Tulsishyam Range in Khambha taluka. The animal had become extremely weak and was unable to walk before falling into an embankment around 10 feet below ground level.
Forest officials then launched an intensive rescue and treatment operation, providing the lion with medical care for nearly 10 days. After responding successfully to treatment and making a full recovery, the lion was released back into its natural habitat.
While the Forest Department’s rescue team managed to save the critically injured adult lion, the death of the one-month-old cub near Vadhera has now put the spotlight back on the dangers wildlife faces beyond protected forest boundaries.
