Traffic on the Bhavnagar-Somnath Highway in Gujarat came to a standstill for about 15 minutes today after an Asiatic lion was spotted walking across the road. A video captured by a car that had stopped on the opposite side of the road shows the lion strolling before making its way towards a temple down a slope near the highway.
Earlier in the night, six lions and lionesses were seen in a residential area in Gujarat's Amreli district. CCTV footage revealed the lions chasing cattle along the street. Wildlife activity is on the rise in the area, with incidents involving lions becoming more frequent. Notably, a lion was recently spotted on a bridge near Dudhala village, and many lions have been injured or killed due to their unexpected presence on the highway.
Gujarat, home to the world’s last Asiatic lions, sees these majestic animals predominantly in the Girnar forests, where more than 50 free-ranging Asiatic lions live. While lion sightings are more common during the night, their movements in populated areas have sparked concerns.