A boy was dragged off and killed by a lion while taking part in a famous pilgrimage in India, according to reports. The victim, who reports suggest was 11 or 12, was with his family when the animal pounced near the steps of Gujarat’s Girnar Hill, a holy mountain held sacred by Hindus and Jains.
The tragic victim has been identified by reports in India as Mayur Chauhan, a resident of Modaj, a village in Kheda district. The lion reportedly snatched the youngster at around 5:45am local time on Saturday, July 11, near the 50th step of the route, in front of hundreds of people. It then made off with him into the nearby forest, with authorities immediately launching urgent search efforts and suspending the pilgrimage, NDTV reports. Parts of the body were discovered some 100 metres from where the attack took place, which were examined by forensics experts.
Officials managed to track down the lion thought to have been behind the shocking incident and also captured two others as a precaution.
The lion suspected of carrying out the killing vomited while being examined, with body parts spotted in the bodily waste, Forest Department officials said.
Investigators will also consider other evidence, including paw prints and drag marks at the scene.
All three lions have been taken to the nearby Sakkarbaug Zoo to be examined.
Raj Vagdoda, a pilgrim from Palanpur, was climbing the mountain with his brother earlier that day, and claimed the animal may have been teased by people and shouted at ahead of the deadly attack.
Mr Vagdoda told reporters that they climbed at around 3.45am and at around the 50th or 55th they heard shouts from people further down.
“We went back around 10 steps and saw some people flashing torches at the lion, teasing it and shouting,” he alleged. “The lion appeared to get agitated. This could have led the lion to attack the child later,” Mr Vagdoda added, as per the Hindustan Times.
On Monday, Gujarat’s Forest and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia said various measures will be put in place to protect climbers at the holy site, including recruiting 25 forest trackers, establishing permanent checkposts where lion movement is common, as well as thermal drone surveillance.
A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is also being developed following previous lion attacks.