Lioness kills five-year-old boy in Gujarat’s Amreli district

A five-year-old boy was mauled to death by a lioness in Gujarat’s Amreli district, a forest official said on Wednesday . The tragic incident occurred at Manavav village in Dhari taluka on Tuesday evening.

According to officials, the child was the son of a farm labourer who had migrated from Madhya Pradesh for work. The lioness reportedly attacked the boy near the fields. Hearing screams, villagers rushed to the spot and raised an alarm, prompting the animal to flee after leaving the severely injured child behind.

The child, who sustained critical injuries in the attack, was immediately taken to a nearby hospital. However, doctors declared him dead on arrival , said Dhari Range Forest Officer Minesh Patel.

Following the incident, the forest department launched a search operation and formed three teams to track the animal. The lioness was eventually captured and caged late on Tuesday night, officials said.

Officials said that, as of now, no announcement has been made regarding compensation for the victim’s family. Such cases are generally treated as human-wildlife conflict, and relief is typically provided after official verification.

With incidents of lion attacks reported more frequently in recent times, concerns have been raised over the need for stronger preventive measures. Local residents say the forest department should issue timely alerts and increase awareness in villages located in lion movement zones.

Gujarat is the only natural habitat of the Asiatic lions in the world . According to the lion census conducted in May 2025, the big cats have expanded their range beyond Gir National Park and are now found in 11 districts of the Saurashtra region, including Amreli, often venturing into non-forested and coastal areas.