Gujarat: Boy mauled to death, attack by lioness suspected

A lioness is suspected to have killed a boy in a village which is part of the Visavadar forest range in Junagadh district of Gujarat on Tuesday morning, an official said.

Visavadar range is part of the Gir forest, the abode of Asiatic lions.

The boy, who is around 5 to 7 years old, was mauled to death by a wild animal at Shekhva Virpur village in the district, said Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Junagadh, Dushyant Vasavada.

"It is possible that a lioness could have killed the boy. We are trying to find out the animal which had attacked the victim," he said.

The victim, identified as Amit, was staying with his farm labourer parents at a farm in the village.