Rajkot: A lion attacked and killed an 11-year-old boy climbing the Girnar hill with his family in Junagadh early on Saturday, triggering a major safety scare among thousands of pilgrims and marking the first reported instance of a lion attacking a pilgrim at this place.The incident, which also marks the sixth human fatality in lion attacks in the Gir region since June, occurred around 5.45am when the boy, Mayur Chauhan, was ascending the nearly 5,000-step hill with his family and relatives who came from Kheda. There were around 50-60 people in the group.Akshay Joshi, deputy conservator of forest, Junagadh, said Mayur walked ahead of his family and was playing near the 50th step when a lion suddenly emerged and dragged him into the nearby forest. The lion consumed nearly 40% of the child’s body before fleeing, and some remains were yet to be recovered.Two lions and one lioness were captured and sent to Sakkarbaug Zoo to analyse their behaviour.“The child’s remains were found in the lion’s vomit and the body was found in several parts, confirming that the wild cat had eaten it,” Joshi told reporters.“Preliminary investigation suggests that the lions wanted to cross from one side of the staircase to the other, which they do every day. The child was in between and this might have prompted the attack,” said Joshi.Joshi said both sides of the staircase are a sanctuary area and lions stay here permanently. The forest department closed both the old and new stairways leading to Girnar. “We are scanning the entire area for the presence of wild animals and the staircases will be reopened for pilgrims,” he added.The boy’s uncle told reporters: “It was pitch dark. We barely had any time to react,” he said. He also raised concerns over the lack of lighting on the pilgrimage route.Raj Vagdoda from Palanpur, who was climbing the hill with his brother, said they were walking ahead of the family when they heard screams. “When we turned back, we saw a lion standing near the steps while some people were flashing torchlights at its face. That may have agitated the animal,” he said.
