[FEL-L] Watch lions feast in Gir, for a price 4-21-08

[BigCatSimba at aol.com]

Watch lions feast in Gir, for a  price
 
SASAN: The setting sun has painted the sky a bright red. But,  for a group of 
wide-eyed tourists, it's a different red that's attracting their  attention. 
A bloodied buffalo is being torn apart by two lions while two cubs  join in. 

This is right in the middle of the lion country, just 25 km  from Sasan, the 
core of Gir lion sanctuary that is the last refuge of the  endangered Asiatic 
lions. At Babra Virdi, around 8 pm, the feast was on. So was  the show as 
tourists, including some foreigners, watched in wonder. 

The  show is managed by locals by luring the lions with a live bait and costs 
 anywhere between Rs 2,500 and Rs 10,000 for a group of five close to the 
core  area. This is not an isolated incident. Lion shows are a rage in Gir, with  
several touts organising these shows in and around the forest. They are 
usually  drivers of tourist vehicles who are hand-in-glove with forest department 
staff.  These touts even have business cards and offer you a package which 
includes a  meal while the lion is having a banquet. 

Since the lion has strayed far  beyond the protected sanctuary and national 
park, shows are organised even in  villages on the outskirts of the sanctuary. 
"These shows violate security for  the lions and will only help guide poachers 
at a time when poaching turning out  to be a big menace," says Revtubhai 
Jadeja, former member of Wildlife Board. "We  are looking for people who organise 
such shows," says conservator of forest  (Junagadh range) Bharat Pathak. 

What's  on show? 

Venue: Sasan, core area  of Gir 

Tourists who do not sight lions during a tour of Gir are  the targets of well 
organised groups. They promise sure shot viewing at close  quarters. They 
help you take your car up to a pride of lions. While the car is  stopped barely 
10 feet from the lions, visitors are told not to take pictures as  it would 
annoy the lion. 

Venue: Dhari,  near the core area 

A buffalo or cow is let loose on the top of a  hillock, with a long rope tied 
around its neck. The other end is tied to a  tractor, which waits at a 
distance down the hillock. Around 7 pm, when lions  approach the bait, the tractor 
pulls the bait down the hill with the lion in  pursuit. The rope is cut off, 
leaving it to the mercy of the lion. The lion  feeds on the cattle as the 
tourists watch. 
 
_http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Watch_lions_feast_in_Gir_for_a_price/artic
leshow/2969637.cms_ (http://timesofindia.i
ndiatimes.com/Watch_lions_feast_in_Gir_for_a_price/articleshow/2969637.cms) 
 
 





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