Lion drowns in sea during territorial clash with 2 other lions in Gujarat: Official

A lion drowned in the Arabian Sea near Pipavav Port in Gujarat's Amreli district, apparently while trying to escape during a territorial clash with two other big cats, a forest official said on Tuesday.

The incident occurred on Monday, he said.

"A day after the clash, the carcass of the lion, aged approximately six years, was found around 1.30 pm on Tuesday in the sea near the port's jetty, about three km from the seashore of Patva village," said D K Makwana, Range Forest Officer (RFO) of Rajula range.

Three lions were spotted near the coastline in Patva on Monday. The animals may have been involved in a territorial fight, following which the lion apparently jumped into the sea in an attempt to flee towards a safer place, he said.

"Male lions often fight among themselves over territory. The stronger one generally prevails, while the others leave the area. This lion may have fled out of fear following an encounter with another lion," Makwana said.

The lion was believed to have entered the sea near Chanch Bandar area in an attempt to reach the other side and find a safer location, he said.

Local residents also spotted the animal entering the water on Monday, while forest personnel subsequently verified its footprints near the spot.

"Normally, lions can swim and may cross water bodies if the distance is not too long. However, this lion might have exhausted its capacity while swimming. We came to know about the incident when its carcass was spotted this afternoon," the RFO said.

Personnel engaged in routine surveillance of the port's jetty area initially mistook the floating carcass for that of a cow or buffalo.

On closer inspection, they realised it was a wild animal and informed the company management, which subsequently alerted the forest department.

Forest officials reached the spot and confirmed that the carcass was that of a lion. Thereafter, they took custody of it.

A post-mortem examination confirmed that the animal died due to drowning, Makwana said, adding that no other cause of death was found.

The Patva-Chanch Bandar-Pipavav stretch is part of a larger coastal lion corridor extending from Diu towards Mahuva in Bhavnagar district, he said.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.