Amid the ongoing legal battle for the translocation of the Asiatic lions from Gir forest in Gujarat to Kuno Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, shocking data of lion deaths and incidents of attack on humans by the wild cats including lions in and around Gir Sanctuary in last two years have been tabled in the Gujarat Assembly. Gujarat’s Forest & Environment Minister Dr Ganapat Vasava disclosed the information on the last day of Gujarat Assembly’s Budget Session that as many as 110 lions died in the State from June 2012 to May 2014. Dr Vasava also tabled important information which disclosed man-wild conflicts. According to the Minister, as many as 127 incidents of attack on human being by Asiatic lions and leopards in and around Gir forest were reported at the same period. Of these attacks, 14 people were killed and 113 injured and many of them borne serious injuries too. According to the State Environment and Forest Department, of the total 110 deaths of Asiatic lions, 106 died naturally, while four were destined to unnatural deaths — drowning in wells and ran over by trains. Unlike in 2007, there has been no incident of poaching in the area during the period. In these two years 41 lions, 32 lionesses and 31 clubs died. As far as attacks on human beings by the wild cats are concern, of the 127 such incidents only two occurred inside the forest area, while 125 incidents happened on the fringes of the Gir Forest. Senior Forest officials say that due to increase in the population of Asiatic lions, many of the wild cats have permanently moved out of the forest area, which caused man-wild conflict in the fringes of the Gir Sanctuary. As per 2010 Census, population of Asiatic Lions in Gujarat is 411. The next census is scheduled in the year 2015, and according to the experts, the population of lion may cross even 500 mark. After the in-famous poaching incidents in 2007-08 by a gang of poachers from Katani in Madhya Pradesh, the State Forest Department has intensified patrolling to prevent poaching incidents. Other measures including fencing along the Railway tracks and parapet walls on open wells are being taken to prevent unnatural deaths of the Asiatic lions, said the Minister. Despite all these efforts, at least couple of incidents of lion deaths were reported recently due to train accident. Even lion death due to electrocution, road accidents and drowning in open well are regularly happening, which is cause of concern.