New Delhi: Three lions identified as having eaten villagers in Gujarat have been caged and will never be released back into the wild, forest officials said today.
The male and two females were among 17 lions rounded up after a 14-year-old boy was dragged away while sleeping outside his house near the lion sanctuary in the Gir National Forest, the world's last refuge for wild Asiatic lions.
The boy was the third person killed since April in the area, prompting protests by villagers and local lawmakers who demanded authorities hunt down the man-eaters.
He said the male had attacked and killed the humans, while the females had eaten the leftovers.
The 14 other lions will be released back into the wild at Gir, a sanctuary that has become overcrowded beyond its 270 lion capacity. While some of India's remaining 500 or so wild lions have migrated to surrounding wildlife parks in search of territory, other prides have settled near riverbeds or farmlands on the sanctuary's borders, leading to conflict with nearby villagers.
The male and two females were among 17 lions rounded up after a 14-year-old boy was dragged away while sleeping outside his house near the lion sanctuary in the Gir National Forest, the world's last refuge for wild Asiatic lions.
The boy was the third person killed since April in the area, prompting protests by villagers and local lawmakers who demanded authorities hunt down the man-eaters.
He said the male had attacked and killed the humans, while the females had eaten the leftovers.
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The 14 other lions will be released back into the wild at Gir, a sanctuary that has become overcrowded beyond its 270 lion capacity. While some of India's remaining 500 or so wild lions have migrated to surrounding wildlife parks in search of territory, other prides have settled near riverbeds or farmlands on the sanctuary's borders, leading to conflict with nearby villagers.
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