Many of you may have seen the Michael Douglas starrer The Ghost and The Darkness, and wondered why would the king of the jungle, ventures into human territory. The entire experience is bound to keep you on the edge of your seat, as a viewer. Well, if you thought it only happens in films and tales, then you’re in for a shock!
Lion Ventures into A Hotel In Junagadh
As per a news report, very recently, a young male Asiatic lion checked into a plush Junagadh hotel in the early hours of the morning, earlier this month. This entry of the King through the main gate at 5.04 am, has been captured on the CCTV cameras installed on the hotel premises. Ofcourse, it seems the King didn’t find the location to his liking, and hence can be seen leaving the premises in less than a minute. The gatekeeper was smart enough, to sink in his chair, inside the security cabin, so as to avoid been seen. He also alerted the hotel staff, to ensure that no body ventures out of the doors.
As per the forest department officials, the young lion had strayed into the city from the Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary, a hilly forested area which adjoins the city of Junagadh. The population of the Asiatic Lion has been gradually increasing in the area of the Gir National Park and its surrounding forests and hilly tracts. Ofcourse, this is not the first time that a lion has strayed into a town. Such occurrences are known to happen in this region of Saurashtra.
Man And Wild Interactions
Wildlife (especially the big cats) straying into human settlements is becoming increasingly common place nowadays. While the lockdown pictures across the world presented some endearing images of how wild animals were strolling inside our cities (globally), carnivorous animals venturing into human lands poses a threat to both animal and man.
Be it the pride of lions roaming on Junagadh's streets, leopard making its way into a Jaipur school, the leopard that strayed into a commercial mall in Thane, Mumbai or the leopard ‘playing’ with humans in Kullu, wild animals venturing into human territories, raises massive questions on our thirst for development. And at what cost? Our cities are eating into the surrounding forests – Mumbai and Thane, for an example, border the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, that has a healthy leopard population. And rampant urbanization and ‘development projects’ is leading to the city pushing into the forest area, thus causing wild animals to venture into the city areas that adjoin the park.
This is something we all need to ponder and act on. Development and urbanization, at what cost?
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