Summary:
Several people can be heard laughing and talking while lions grab the animal and pull it away.Five lions are seen eating the animal even as people move closer to them. Rajkot: Another video of a group of people pestering a pride of lions that were feasting on a dead animal was doing rounds on social media, prompting the department to initiate an inquiry into the incident on Friday.Officials said that the video was taken by some people in Virpur village in Amreli district’s Dhari taluka. Sources in the village claimed that some forest department staff members are also involved in such illegal shows.When contacted, chief conservator of forest (wildlife circle) D T Vasavada said, “The video was shot by some people in Virpur village of Dhari taluka. Incidentally, it is close to Dalkhaniya range where 23 lions died last month due infections.According to sources, the video is couple of days old and people are seen watching nearly six lions from a dangerously close distance. This was not an illegal lion show, but the villagers were watching the lions which had preyed on an animal near by.”Earlier in June, a video showing a man luring a lioness with a live chicken had gone viral in Gir-Gadhda had caused severe embarrassment to the forest department and the state government.After the illegal lion show racket was busted, where some hotel owners were also involved, principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF) G K Sinha had announced formation of 55 teams to keep an eye on illegal activities and unscrupulous elements outside the protected area.Forest department had claimed that majority of illegal lion shows are reported from revenue areas where lions have strayed in search of food..