Gujarat Forest Department Asks People To Stop Taking Selfies With Lions

While big cat 'lovers' are flooding the social media with happy selfies taken with Asiatic lions late in the night, the Gujarat forest department is not amused. For according to them such activity is not possible as the forest officials are vigilant.

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Talk to forest minister Ganpat Vasava, and this is what he has to say: "Illegal shows or taking selfies in the night close to the big cat is impossible. Our department staff are on an alert and they are moving in the night to curb such activities. However, if a lion enters a village and kills a domestic animal, locals call in tourists."

He however, assured that if such activity is brought to his notice he would definitely take action.

Also Read: Ravindra Jadeja Takes Selfies With Lions In Gir, Forest Authorities To Launch Inquiry

Not only Vasava, but even the principal chief conservator of forest, J A Khan, had in June 2016 stated that taking selfies with lions is an offence and the department will deal with such incidents strictly. Khan had said this after cricketer Ravindra Jadeja was caught taking selfies within the Gir Sanctuary on June 14.

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The 523 lions in Gujarat, as counted in the 2015 census, are spread across an area of 22000 square kilometer in Bhavnagar, Amreli and Junagadh districts. More than one-third of these lions are in Amreli district.

In spite of statements to the contrary by officials and politicians, the social media bears testimony to the growing trend of taking selfies with lions.

Also Read: Jadeja's Lion Selfie Is Not An Isolated Incident - Illegal Safari Is A Thriving Business In Gir

A scroll down the Facebook page on lion lovers in Amreli and even on other pages on social media, and one would find numerous photographs of people posing with lions in the back ground. Not only this, one would find photographers flashing lights on lions feeding on kills and taking photographs close to the lion.

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ABJP worker and a bodybuilder from Vadodara had been to Dhari on October 11. He posted 26 photos and three videos taken late in the night. If one looks further, there are photographs of friends driving in a Jeep and flashing floodlights.

Looking at the road ahead one could clearly say that the photo was of a forest area and not an area where the lion strayed on to the main road.

Recently in an incident in Savarkundla local villagers with bikes moved close to lions, disturbing them while they were feeding, and the forest department had to later lift the kill and put in an area where the lions had taken shelter.

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Chief conservator of forest, A P Singh said, "We are aware of the Savarkundla incident. But with the lion population increasing in these areas, locals are indulging into these practices."

Disturbing an animal amounts to an offence, but the department has not registered any case as such `sighting' of lions by locals are reported frequently in the area. "We cannot call these illegal shows."

"As soon as lions enter a village, residents begin calling their friends and family members and this leads to gathering of a huge crowd," said a forest official.