Junagadh: Just a week after the dangerous ‘strolling’ of a herd of 8 lions in a residential area near Girnar Darwaza in this historical city of Gujarat, another such incident was recorded late last night when a group of four lions were seen moving on the road near ancient Ashoka Shilalekh (rock edict of Emperor Ashoka) quite close to the city.

Though the big cats did not harm anybody, an incident of killing of a buffalo by a herd of four lions in nearby Lakhakhotha village in Bhavnath locality has raised alarm among the residents.

An official of the forest department today said that it was not yet clear whether the same heard killed the buffalo but the possibility could not be ruled out.

Notably on June 25 last year also a strayed lion from Girnar, the part of larger Gir forests, the sole abode of Asiatic lions, was seen sitting on the protection wall of the Shilalekh.

About 2 km east of Junagadh and 3 km from the foot of Girnar Hill, between the two places, is the edict of Emperor Ashoka inscribed on a rock dating from the third century BC. The Ashokan edicts impart moral instructions on dharma, harmony, tolerance, and peace. An uneven rock, with a circumference of seven metres and a height of ten metres, bears inscriptions in Brāhmī script etched with an iron pen. It attracts many tourists.

Earlier in the night of July 11, a herd of 8 lions including some cubs was seen moving dangerously along the road side close to Mota Girnar Darwaza, a residential area. They stayed in the area for quite some time though did not harm any one, more so because no body was on the road at that time.

The incidents of lions coming in residential area frequently has also raised concern among the common people as at least four incidents of human deaths in lion attacks and several such attacks inflicting injuries have been reported from neighbouring Amreli and Gir Somnath districts in last few months.

DeshGujarat