A 40-year-old woman was mauled to death by a lion in a village in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district, a forest official said on Monday.
The incident took place near Vaodara-Dodiya village in Verval taluka on Sunday evening, the official said.
Bhanuben Amheda had ventured into a forest with a few other women from the village to collect wood when a lion attacked her, range forest officer Khimanand Pampaniya said.
The forest of Vadodara-Dodiya is situated near the seashore and lions have been spotted in the area in the past as well, he said.
“A group of five to six women of Vadodara-Dodiya village went to collect wood in the forest on Sunday afternoon. When they were returning home, a lion attacked Bhanuben and dragged her inside the forest. On learning about the attack, forest personnel launched a search," the RFO said.
The woman’s body was finally recovered this morning, he said.
“Lions use this forest as a corridor to go from one place to another. They don’t live here. Our staff is scanning the entire region to locate the animal," the official said.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI)