Screengrab of the video where the lioness attacked a cattle keeper.
Screengrab of the video where the lioness attacked a cattle keeper.
A cattle keeper was seriously injured after a lioness attacked him outside his house in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district on Monday morning.

The victim, identified as Kalu Parmar, was attacked at around 8 am outside his residence on the outskirts of Garajiya village in Palitana taluka. According to local accounts, the lioness suddenly emerged, grabbed his hand in its jaws and later bit his leg, knocking him to the ground.

The attack triggered panic in the village as residents watched the struggle unfold. Videos of the incident, filmed by villagers on mobile phones, have since gone viral on social media, drawing renewed concern over the increasing movement of Asiatic lions into human settlements.

As the lioness held on to Kalu Parmar, residents rushed to help, shouting and pelting stones in an attempt to drive the animal away.

Despite suffering severe injuries and heavy bleeding, Parmar continued to struggle to free himself from the lioness's grip during the attack.


According to preliminary information, he sustained multiple injuries after the lioness repeatedly bit and mauled him. Villagers eventually managed to force the animal to retreat, preventing what could have turned into a fatal attack.

The injured cattle keeper was first taken to the government hospital in Palitana before being referred to a hospital in Bhavnagar due to the severity of his injuries. He is currently undergoing treatment.

Forest department officials reached the village soon after the attack, launched an inquiry and began efforts to trace the lioness. Surveillance in the area has also been stepped up to prevent further encounters.

The incident has renewed concerns among residents over the increasing movement of lions near human settlements. Locals alleged that repeated warnings about lion sightings around villages had gone unaddressed.

Palitana Taluka Panchayat member Chetan Dabhi claimed the administration had failed to act despite several representations raising concerns over villagers' safety.

."Around 8 am today, the lion entered the area near Kalubhai's house and attacked him. We have repeatedly informed the forest department that lions frequently move around the village and pose a threat to residents, but adequate action has not been taken," Dabhi said.

"We urge the department to safely relocate the lions into the forest and immediately strengthen security arrangements so villagers can live without fear," he added.

Residents said Monday's attack was the latest in a series of lion encounters in the region rather than an isolated incident. According to local accounts, at least four attacks on humans have been reported over the past 20 days, raising concerns over the increasing frequency of human-lion conflict along the Gir fringe.

The latest incident comes weeks after a five-year-old boy was killed in a lion attack in Chaturi village of Amreli's Khambha taluka in June.

Forest officials have also investigated suspected lion attacks in Bhakodar in Jafrabad, Juna Savar in Savarkundla, Kovaya in Rajula and Mahuva in Bhavnagar district, fuelling concerns over the growing overlap between lion habitats and human settlements.

Wildlife experts have attributed the rise in such encounters to the expanding population of Asiatic lions beyond the protected Gir forest, bringing the big cats into closer contact with villages, livestock and Maldhari communities.