A 12-year-old boy was killed in a lion attack on Girnar hill early on Saturday while climbing the steps of the pilgrimage site with his family.
The victim, identified as Mayur, was a resident of Modaj village in Mehmedabad taluka of Kheda district. He had travelled to Girnar with his family on a pilgrimage.
According to family members, they had climbed around 50 steps from the main entrance when a lion suddenly emerged from the darkness, attacked the boy from behind and dragged him into the nearby forest, triggering panic among pilgrims present at the site.
The boy’s uncle, Anilkumar, said family members and local residents immediately began searching for him. During the search operation, the child’s shoes, clothes and some body remains were recovered from the forest.
Following the incident, teams from the Forest Department and police rushed to the spot, while access to the main staircase leading to Girnar hill was temporarily suspended as a precautionary measure.
The family alleged that inadequate safety arrangements contributed to the tragedy, claiming that poor lighting along the steps made it difficult to spot wild animals during the early morning hours. They demanded improved lighting and deployment of Forest Department personnel at regular intervals along the route.
The Forest Department has formed multiple teams to trace the lion and has placed cages near the site of the attack to capture the animal.
Local residents also alleged that the Range Forest Officer reached the spot nearly two hours after the incident.