Asiatic Lion News: Watch lions feast in Gir, for a price

April 22, 2008

Asiatic Lion News:

Watch lions feast in Gir, for a price

22 Apr 2008, Himanshu Kaushik,TNN, Times of India

SASAN: The setting sun has painted the sky a bright red. But, for a group of

wide-eyed tourists, it's a different red that's attracting their attention. A

bloodied buffalo is being torn apart by two lions while two cubs join in.

This is right in the middle of the lion country, just 25 km from Sasan, the core

of Gir lion sanctuary that is the last refuge of the endangered Asiatic lions.

At Babra Virdi, around 8 pm, the feast was on. So was the show as tourists,

including some foreigners, watched in wonder.

The show is managed by locals by luring the lions with a live bait and costs

anywhere between Rs 2,500 and Rs 10,000 for a group of five close to the core

area. This is not an isolated incident. Lion shows are a rage in Gir, with

several touts organising these shows in and around the forest. They are usually

drivers of tourist vehicles who are hand-in-glove with forest department staff.

These touts even have business cards and offer you a package which includes a

meal while the lion is having a banquet.

Since the lion has strayed far beyond the protected sanctuary and national park,

shows are organised even in villages on the outskirts of the sanctuary. " These

shows violate security for the lions and will only help guide poachers at a time

when poaching turning out to be a big menace, " says Revtubhai Jadeja, former

member of Wildlife Board. " We are looking for people who organise such shows, "

says conservator of forest (Junagadh range) Bharat Pathak.

What's on show?

Venue: Sasan, core area of Gir

Tourists who do not sight lions during a tour of Gir are the targets of well

organised groups. They promise sure shot viewing at close quarters. They help

you take your car up to a pride of lions. While the car is stopped barely 10

feet from the lions, visitors are told not to take pictures as it would annoy

the lion.

Venue: Dhari, near the core area

A buffalo or cow is let loose on the top of a hillock, with a long rope tied

around its neck. The other end is tied to a tractor, which waits at a distance

down the hillock. Around 7 pm, when lions approach the bait, the tractor pulls

the bait down the hill with the lion in pursuit. The rope is cut off, leaving it

to the mercy of the lion. The lion feeds on the cattle as the tourists watch.

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