Lioness killed by vehicle on Bhavnagar-Somnath highway

Rajkot: A lioness was killed late at night after being hit by a vehicle while crossing the Bhavnagar–Somnath national highway near Hemal village in Jafrabad taluka of Amreli district on Sunday night. According to the forest department, the lioness suffered severe head injuries and died on the spot. The incident came to light early on Monday morning, after which a team from the Jafrabad Range forest department went to the site. The carcass was taken into custody and transported to the Babarkot Animal Care Centre for a postmortem.Range forest officer G L Vaghela said the department got information about the incident in the early hours, after which forest staff reached the location and carried out preliminary procedures. "CCTV footage from nearby hotels and along the national highway is being examined to identify the vehicle involved. Efforts are underway to trace the driver responsible," he said, adding that forest guards and trackers launched an investigation.The Bhavnagar–Somnath national highway, particularly the Rajula–Jafrabad stretch, has long been considered a high-risk zone for Asiatic lions. Several wildlife fatalities, including lion cubs, were reported in the past. Lions are frequently seen crossing roads near villages such as Timbi, Chelna, Hemal, Dudhala, Nageshri, Kagvad, Charnala, Hindorna and Kadiyali.