NEW DELHI: In the past five years, over 20 people have been killed in attacks by Asiatic lions in India, with seven fatalities reported just last year. This rise in incidents has heightened concerns in Gujarat, where the lion population is the highest. According to CNN, the latest victim was five-year-old Palsing Ajnira, who was taken by a lion while playing in a farm near his home. His father, Hira Ajnira, recounted, “The lion suddenly appeared from nowhere, grabbed my little boy, and took him away. Our family tried to rescue him by throwing stones and sticks, but the lion dragged him into the forest.” The child’s body was later found. Asiatic lions, closely related to African lions, once roamed the Middle East and parts of Asia, but now they are only found in Gujarat. Their population has increased by 30% over the past five years, reaching 891. This growth has led to more lions entering residential areas and villages, raising the likelihood of encounters with humans. Experts warn that this situation could be dangerous. If some lions are not relocated to other habitats, the risk of attacks on humans may increase, and the population could face threats from diseases. Previous attempts to transfer lions to the Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh have not been realized, complicated by the presence of leopards in the sanctuary. The father of the victim stated, “We used to think that humans and lions could coexist, but now we have been forced to leave our home.”
