12-Year-Old Boy Killed by Lion During Pilgrimage to Gujarat Temple; Trek Route Suspended

A 12-year-old boy was killed by a lion on Saturday while trekking with his family to the Ambaji Temple in Gujarat's Junagadh district, prompting authorities to close the main route to one of the state's most revered pilgrimage sites. The incident occurred just 50 steps into the climb at Girnar, a mountain known for its population of Asiatic lions.

The victim, Mayur Chauhan, had travelled from Modaj village in Kheda district with his family for the pilgrimage. According to eyewitnesses, the lion emerged from the darkness and attacked the boy from behind around 5:45 am. The animal dragged him into the adjoining forest before stunned pilgrims could react. Later, forest officials recovered the child's shoes, clothes, and partial remains.

Forest officials confirmed that this is the first recorded attack on a pilgrim trekking to the Ambaji Temple at Girnar. While a leopard had previously dragged away an 11-year-old girl during the annual pilgrimage, that attack occurred on the outskirts of the mountain, not on the temple steps.

In response, authorities suspended movement on the main staircase and diverted pilgrims to an older route near Jatashankar. Search teams deployed cages to capture the lion involved. Forest officials said the area remains risky, as the lion may still be in the vicinity.

Gujarat Forests and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia described the incident as unfortunate and stated that the government will investigate the cause. 'Usually, lions do not attack without a reason. We will probe the reasons for this attack,' he said. Modhwadia added that a review meeting on standard operating procedures for human-lion conflict would be held on Monday.

Locals claimed that the lion had been sighted near the main staircase for three days prior, but forest officials maintained that adequate measures were in place. The rising frequency of conflicts involving Asiatic lions in Gujarat has prompted government attention. This attack follows a similar incident on June 24 where a child was dragged away, though no provocation or teasing was reported.

Girnar is a major pilgrimage site and also a habitat for the endangered Asiatic lion. Conservationists have warned that increasing human encroachment and tourism heighten the risk of such encounters.