A man in Gujarat was arrested after a video of him walking dangerously close to a lion went viral on social media.
The clip shows the man recklessly approaching the lion as it feeds on its prey. The stunt, recorded on a mobile phone in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district, has raised serious concern online. The man has now been arrested by the forest department.
The incident took place in the Sim area between Bambhor and Talli villages in the Talaja region.
The man, identified as Gautam, was seen stepping dangerously close to the lion, phone in hand, while it was eating.
The predator, visibly disturbed, rose and let out a loud growl, briefly moving towards him. Undeterred, the man continued recording while slowly backing off, as voices in the background – presumably villagers – shouted to distract the animal.
Fortunately, no one was hurt. But the act has rightly drawn widespread criticism on social media for endangering both human and animal life.
Watch the viral video here:
Soon after the video began circulating, the forest department launched an inquiry and traced the location. Officials confirmed that Gautam was arrested following interrogation, and a case was filed under various sections of the Forest Act.
“A lion was calmly feeding when this person deliberately approached to record a video. The lion got up in anger, and it could have ended very badly. Such behaviour is not just irresponsible, it’s punishable,” a forest department official told India Today.
A few clicks aren’t worth a life – human or animal, and this video was just a reminder of that.
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