7 Lions Venture Into Local Streets At Midnight Leaving Humans Horror-Struck

It was a rainy night when a pride of seven lions decided to take over the local streets near Girnar Mountains in the Junagadh district, Gujarat, India. In a video captured by a pedestrian on Wednesday, the lions are clearly seen ambling across the streets.

Junagadh is located about 100 km away from the commercial capital of Saurashtra region in Gujarat. Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary, home to over 40 Asiatic Lions, is also located in close proximity to Junagadh.

Dr. Sunil Kumar Berwal, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Junagadh, told News18, “Lions often come out of the Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary and are found roaming on the roads near Girnar Taleti road as it’s close to the sanctuary in Junagadh. It's a natural phenomenon here. This is a lions’ corridor and they come out during the night and return back to the wild. The forest department keeps a tab on the lions’ movement and if needed rescue the wild animals and release them back to the wild to avoid human-wildlife conflicts.’’

The otherwise extinct Asiatic lions are only found now in Gir Forest, Gujarat. The last census of Asiatic lions, conducted in 2015, revealed that there were 523 lions in and around Gir Wildlife Sanctuary in Saurashtra region of Gujarat, 33 among which were reported residing in Girnar wildlife sanctuary. “There are around 35 to 40 lions in and around Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary,’’ according to an official.

The official also added, “Girnar forests was once a part of a major forest ecosystem comprising Gir and Girnar. Gradually, urbanisation and economic activities caused by major agricultural expansion and industrialisation have separated these two forests converting Girnar to an isolated compact patch of forest habitat of 178.8 square km.’’

According to a report by the Times of India, it had been raining incessantly in the Saurashtra region in Gujarat and Wednesday marked the 10th day of rainfall.

It was not the first time when wild animals were spotted roaming on streets. In a previous instance, an eight-foot-long crocodile was found submerged in a roadside drain in the tourist resort of Chiplun in Maharashtra’s coastal Ratnagiri District. A video of the crocodile being rescued from the drain also went viral.