Gandhinagar, March 14 (TIWN) The Gujarat government on Monday informed the state Assembly that a little less than 300 lions, lionesses and cubs have died in the last two years of natural and unnatural causes in and around the Gir sanctuary.

Replying to questions of various Congress MLAs, Minister of Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Kiritsinh Rana, informed the House that a total of 283 lions in Gir, which is the only abode for Asiatic lions in the world, died till December 2021.

During the same period, more than 300 leopards have also died in the state, Rana said.

The minister further informed that 63 lions died of natural causes while five died unnaturally, 57 lionesses died natural deaths while 16 died unnaturally.

Out of the 142 lion cubs which died, 134 died naturally while eight died of unnatural causes.

Replying to a question on what steps have been taken by the government to curb the unnatural deaths of the big cats, the minister said that patrolling is being carried out day and night by the forest department officials.

Joint patrolling is also being carried out in collaboration with the Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited (PGVCL).