Daijiworld Media Network - Amreli

Amreli, Jun 25: In a heart-wrenching incident, a five-year-old boy was dragged away and mauled to death by a lion near Thordi village in Gujarat’s Amreli district on Wednesday afternoon, forest officials confirmed.

The victim, identified as Gulsingh Harilal Ajnera, was the son of a labourer. He was taken from a farm and his body was discovered around 100 metres from the site of the attack, said Pratap Chandu, Range Forest Officer of Savarkundla range.

In a swift operation, forest teams managed to track down and capture the lion by evening. The animal was later shifted to a nearby rescue centre.

While Amreli is not part of the traditional core habitat of Asiatic lions—who mainly reside in the Gir National Park—the latest 2025 census has documented lion presence across 11 districts of Saurashtra, including Amreli, especially in non-forested and coastal areas.

The lion population in Gujarat, the only home of Asiatic lions, has risen from 674 to 891 in the last five years. Of these, 384 lions are within Gir National Park and 507 are found in areas outside its boundaries, including Amreli.

The tragic incident has once again raised concerns over the growing human-wildlife conflict in regions witnessing the expanding footprint of lions beyond protected zones.