11 lion cubs born in Gir sanctuary

Manas Dasgupta

Ahmedabad, July 16

The Gujarat government forest department has announced arrivals of 11 newborns of the Asiatic Lions at its only abode, the Gir sanctuary in the Saurashtra region of the state.

An official spokesman of the forest department said four lionesses had given birth to 11 cubs in the interiors of the Gir forest. All the cubs were born after July 4 and all of them were “healthy and doing fine.” 

The news of the arrival of the newborns has come as a happy tiding for the forest officials after the death of 13 Asiatic Lions in Amreli and Bhavnagar districts in the state in the last month’s rain and floods. 

The state government in its report submitted to the Centre had officially confirmed the loss of at least 11 lions besides about 1,500 blue bulls and over 150 spotted deer among other animals. “The nature seems to have given us back what we lost in the floods,” the official said announcing the birth of 11 new cubs.