In what can be described as an unusual sight, a pride of 7 lions was seen walking on the streets of Gujarat’s Junagadh, the video of which is now doing rounds on social media.
The video was shot by a person from inside their house, and it clearly shows the big cats walking on the streets of a residential area.
@CMOGuj @vijayrupanibjp @jitu_vaghani @dgpgujarat received on whatsapp, it says 10th september night, Lions roaming at Girnar Taleti, kindly ask forest department, police to patrol & check pic.twitter.com/nzMCpKWhgW
— Manan Shah (@MManan1313) September 12, 2019
Distressed people are sharing the video, asking everyone to stay safe.
This, however, is not the first time something of this nature has happened. Earlier in 2016, similar videos had surfaced on the internet.
Lions night out in town! In a rare scene, 9 lions spotted 3.5 km inside Junagadh town’s road on 12th after midnight! pic.twitter.com/1kZEGFYutC
— Parimal Nathwani (@mpparimal) July 13, 2016
#WATCH: Lion seen sauntering through inhabited road of Junagadh in Gujarat (Mobile footage: 30/9/16) pic.twitter.com/bLk7n8n0H4
— ANI (@ANI) October 1, 2016
Dr. Sunil Kumar Berwal, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Junagadh says the lions come from Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary and go back to the forest soon.
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.
Lions on the street! If we snatch their homes, they will knock on our doors! https://t.co/gd4TUB9kV6
— Vibhinna Ideas (@Vibhinnaideas) September 12, 2019
Witnessing this alarming sight for the first time. Pack of lions entering human habitat near Girnar, Gujarat after floods. How dangerously have we encroached their spaces and how dangerous it is for humans living there.https://t.co/FfCWvuDMHu
— Nagaraj (@rajuvijai) September 12, 2019