Farmer arrested with 14 lion nails in Amreli

RAJKOT: The forest department in Amreli district has arrested a farmer, who had allegedly removed the nails of a dead lion in the protected area near Khambha in February.

The forest team found 14 nails from the accused farmer Vashram Dhapa, 45. It was on February 14 that Tulsishyam range team had found 14 out of the 18 nails missing from the carcass of a dead lion.

The 14 nails were found from Dhapa’s house in Pachpachiya village of Khambha taluka. The forest department had formed 10 teams to investigate the case after the nails were found missing.

The team also surveyed nearby areas with the possibility that a mongoose or other animals that feed on lion carcass might have taken away the nails too. But this possibility was ruled out after the survey.

Assistant conservator of forest, Nikunj Parmar, said, “Dhapa was a habitual trespasser into the forest area and he even used to steal minor forest produce.”

Dhapa was nabbed when he was in search of customers for the nails. “There is no such organized market for lion nails, but people from certain communities wear pendants studded with these nails. They believe that lion nails are auspicious and make them more powerful.” Parmar said

Officials said Dhapa had not killed the lion as the the postmortem report had confirmed that it died a natural death. The body was lying there for three to four days and was decomposed when Dhapa removed the nails.

Dhapa was booked under section 9 of Wildlife Protection Act, which pertains to poaching. As per the Act, possessing any organ or part of wild animal amounts to poaching.

Earlier,some people were caught in Pania forest range too while trying to sell lion nails.