Woman killed by lioness in mango orchard in Amreli

Rajkot: A 45-year-old woman, Majula Solanki, was killed by a lioness while watering a mango orchard in Amreli district on Monday afternoon.The killing occurred around 3.30pm in Govindpur village of Dhari taluka, which is under the Dalkhaniya range of Gir East forest division.Vikas Yadav, deputy conservator of forests, said: "Solanki and the lioness came into conflict all of a sudden. The lioness attacked her and grabbed her leg," he told TOI.On hearing her screams, workers from nearby rushed to the spot. The lioness fled as people gathered. However, Solanki had lost a lot of blood. She was taken to hospital but doctors there declared her dead.The lioness believed to be responsible for the attack was soon captured by the forest department."We need to understand the circumstances under which the attack occurred, especially whether the lioness was with cubs or if the woman unwittingly came near her. The investigation is underway," Yadav said.Solanki's husband, Dhiru Solanki, who was working alongside her in the orchard, said the animal attacked without warning. "We were both watering the mango trees. The lioness suddenly attacked my wife from behind and killed her," he said.Another labourer, Govind Vaghela, said Manjula had no idea the animal was nearby. "She had no knowledge about the presence of the lioness. The attack was sudden. I started screaming and banged an axe against a wall to make noise. I told the children there to run away," he said.Amreli district reports frequent movement of Asiatic lions near human settlements. Officials estimate around 300 lions regularly move through revenue land near villages, increasing the risk of human-wildlife encounters and raising concern among residents and migrant workers.