Gujarat: Lion offered bait for an illegal show, videos go viral

AHMEDABAD: A series of videos has gone viral showing a live cow being offered as bait to a lion for an illegal show. The videos have been shot somewhere between Kodinar and Una, said a forest official. The forest department has initiated an inquiry into the incident.
One of the videos shows two bikes parked at about 100 metres away from a cow which is tied with a rope. A group of people, some of them appearing to be locals, are seen sitting with sticks usually carried by beat guards.
The video begins with a lion seen rushing towards the bait and pouncing on it. The cow makes an attempt to run but cannot as it’s tied. The male lion makes the kill while the people are all busy king videos and taking photographs with the lion eating in the background.
A senior officer who has seen the video said, “The way the group was ready with their cameras makes it seem this was a routine affair for the group. They might not be feeding the lion for a couple of days and thenorganizing the illegal show by charging high rates.”
Talking to TOI, deputy conservator of forest, Gir (west) Dheeraj Mittal, said, “We believe that this video has been recorded somewhere in our division and we have identified the person seen in the video. He will be arrested soon.”
A senior officer pointed out that the voice of the person cautioning another man in a yellow T-shirt from going forward appears to be that of a local person.
Illegal lion shows in the periphery of the Gir Sanctuary are rampant, usually from October to June, and they are organized by locals including some jeep drivers and even beat guards. These people charge Rs 2,000-10,000 per person.
If someone wanted to see a lion preying and feeding on a cow or buffalo, the charge per person went up to Rs 8,000-10,000, said sources.