A video of a faceoff between two lions and two pet dogs is going viral on social media. With only a gate separating them, the animals clashed for almost a minute before the lions abandoned the fight and left the scene.
Here’s the video:
The shocking footage recorded on a personal CCTV camera is from Gujarat’s Savarkundla in Amreli district — around 76 km from the Gir National Park, which is the only abode of the Asiatic lion in India.
In the video, a lion can be seen coming towards the gate from the outside when a dog suddenly barges into the frame on the other side of the gate. The two clash for a few seconds when another dog enters the scene.
Suddenly, another lion slams against the gate with the big cats continuously ramming it with their paws. In a final aggressive move by one of the lions, the gate breaks open and the dogs back off. But, the lions disappear into a bush nearby, possibly detecting some faraway movement on the other side of the gate.
One of the dogs then returns and steps outside, accompanied by a guard holding a torchlight. The guard goes and checks outside for movement, returns inside and bolts the gate.
This is not the first time that dogs have taken on lions or other wild animals like hyenas or even leopards. A few such incidents have been reported earlier as well from the Gir National Park and surrounding areas.
According to experts, dog behaviour is mostly coordinated to humans in a domestic setting and guided by internal or external stimuli, but human’s best friend is known to fiercely protect its territory. Lions, too, are highly territorial animals and known to occupy the same area for long periods of time.
Lion encounters are not uncommon in Gujarat, with many instances of human-wildlife conflict reported by shepherds and village residents who live in the forests. They also actively take part in the conservation and protection of the majestic big cat. The state has a population of 674 Asiatic lions, as per the 2020 census. There was a time when the Asiatic lion was known to be distributed far into West Bengal in the east and Madhya Pradesh in the central part of India.
About the Author
Oindrila MukherjeeOindrila Mukherjee is a senior sub-editor who works for the rewrite and breaking news desks. Her nine years of experience in print and digital journal…Read More
