The Asiatic lion news archive - 2001

Stories relating to the Asiatic lion and updates on the captive breeding programme from 2001.

DATELINE : February 18th 2001
Animals in Gir had inkling of the quake
By Sudhir Vyas

RAJKOT: Though mankind never had the slightest inkling of the impending earthquake in Gujarat, the animals were forewarned of the tremor. This was evident from the unusual movement of the animals, including lions in the Gir forest.

Deputy conservator of forest Mahesh Singh and some forest officials were eyewitness to such a behaviour. "The animals in the 1,382 sq km area had started the unusual movement from the night of January 25 and it continued till the morning of January 26," the officials said.

The stillness of the Gir forest, the only home to the Asiatic lion, was breached with loud roars and shrieks of wild animals.

Singh said, "The lions, leopards, chittals and deer in the jungle started crying loudly and running helter-skelter. The roar of the lions was deafening and they too ran with their tails up and erect.''

The field staff in the jungle were unable to understand this unusual movement initially.

Singh was camping at Jamva on that night and he saw the snakes, coming out of the holes and climbing the trees. The Sakarbaugh Zoo authorities on the outskirts of Junagadh said that the crocodiles had also showed such a behaviour and were turning and tossing in the water.

Some of the boulders from the adjacent Girnar hills had also started tumbling down, the wireless operator atop the Ambaji peak told the Junagadh collector's office. Some of the pilgrims, who were on the Ambaji peak when the earthquake started, said they had heard loud sounds from beneath the hard rocks.

Source : The Times News Service.