India sentences three lions to life in captivity after human remains found in their faeces
Seventeen lions were rounded up after a teenger was dragged from his bed
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Three man-eating lions have received a ‘life sentence’ after they were identified as having consumed humans.
The male and two females will be kept in captivity for the rest of their lives, having been deemed too dangerous to be released.
A total of 17 lions were rounded up after a 14-year-old boy was dragged away while sleeping outside his house in the Gir National Forest in Gujarat state, India.
The boy was the third person killed since April in the area, prompting protests by villagers who demanded authorities hunt down the man-eaters.
Gujarat's chief conservator, AP Singh, said wildlife officials identified the three lions by analysing the lions' faeces and paw prints. Human remains were found in the faeces of the three lions.
The behaviour of the animals was also observed – cats which have targeted humans often act more aggressively towards people.
It is believed the male had attacked and killed the humans, while the females had eaten the leftovers.
The male lion has been moved to an enclosure at the nearby Junagadh zoo, while the two females will be held in cages at a rescue centre, a zoo official said.
After having found no evidence the other 14 lions had eaten humans, they were released back into the wild by investigators.
Gir sanctuary, one of the world's last refuges for wild Asiatic lions, 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.
In 2013, the Supreme Court ordered Gujarat to relocate some lions to other states to prevent the population from being hit all at once by a natural disaster or disease. But Gujarat has resisted moving any of the lions, saying it does not trust other Indian states to protect the big cats.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments