Have Asiatic lions found a new home?

Asiatic lions from Gujarat appear to be settling in an unexpected new territory – Diu in the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu – with state forest department officials rescuing two male big cats that had wandered into the coastal town and brought them back to the western state on February 10.

- Maulik Pathak [e-mail]

AHMEDABAD:

The incident, according to forest officials, is part of a growing trend. Earlier this month, a video of a lion feasting on a wild pig at Nava Bandar village near Diu went viral, highlighting the big cats' movement beyond Gir sanctuary.

"Over the past six months, there have been at least 10 cases of lions being rescued in Diu after complaints from local authorities," Rajdeepsinh Zala, deputy conservator of forests, Gir (East), said.

Diu, an island off Gujarat's southern coast and known as a tourist destination, is separated from the mainland by a tidal creek. While a bridge connects Diu to a village in Gujarat for human access, lions rely on swimming or wading through water passages to reach the island. "The lions are good swimmers, and they cross through narrow stretches of water during low tide from areas like Kesariya, Tad, and Una to reach Diu," Zala explained.