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Three man-eating lions have received a ‘life sentence’ after they were identified as having consumed humans.
The male and two females will be kept in captivity for the rest of their lives, having been deemed too dangerous to be released.
A total of 17 lions were rounded up after a 14-year-old boy was dragged away while sleeping outside his house in the Gir National Forest in Gujarat state, India .
The boy was the third person killed since April in the area, prompting protests by villagers who demanded authorities hunt down the man-eaters.
Gujarat's chief conservator, AP Singh, said wildlife officials identified the three lions by analysing the lions' faeces and paw prints. Human remains were found in the faeces of the three lions.
The behaviour of the animals was also observed – cats which have targeted humans often act more aggressively towards people.
It is believed the male had attacked and killed the humans, while the females had eaten the leftovers.
Show all 26 1 /26Wildlife Photographer of the Year Wildlife Photographer of the Year A polar bear's struggle - Highly Commended Justin’s whole body pained as he watched this starving polar bear at an abandoned hunter's camp, in the Canadian Arctic, slowly heave itself up to standing. With little, and thinning, ice to move around on, the bear is unable to search for food.
Justin Hofman / Natural History Museum
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Cristobal Serrano / Natural History Museum
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David Lloyd / Natural History Museum
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Matthew Maran / Natural History Museum
Wildlife Photographer of the Year Three Kings - Highly Commended Wim Van Den Heever, South Africa. Wim came across these king penguins on a beach in the Falkland Islands just as the sun was rising. They were caught up in a fascinating mating behaviour –the two males were constantly moving around the female using their flippers to fend the other off.
Wim Van Den Heever / Natural History Museum
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Bence Mate / Natural History Museum
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David Barrio / Natural History Museum
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Suzi Eszterhas / Natural History Museum
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Audun Lie Dahl / Natural History Museum
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Franco Banfi / Natural History Museum
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David Lloyd / Natural History Museum
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Eduardo Blanco Mendizabal / Natural History Museum
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Konstantin Shatenev / Natural History Museum
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Pedro Carrillo / Natural History Museum
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Tin Man Lee / Natural History Museum
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Anna Henly / Natural History Museum
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Tony Wu / Natural History Museum
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Phil Jones / Natural History Museum
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Federico Veronesi / Natural History Museum
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Christian Vizl / Natural History Museum
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Antonio Leiva Sanchez / Natural History Museum
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Audren Morel / Natural History Museum
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Rob Blanken / Natural History Museum
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Connor Stefanison / Natural History Museum
Wildlife Photographer of the Year A dog jumps to catch a disc during a dog frisbee competition in Poznan
via REUTERS
The male lion has been moved to an enclosure at the nearby Junagadh zoo, while the two females will be held in cages at a rescue centre, a zoo official said.
After having found no evidence the other 14 lions had eaten humans, they were released back into the wild by investigators.
Gir sanctuary, one of the world's last refuges for wild Asiatic lions, has become overcrowded beyond its 270 lion capacity. While some of India's remaining 500 or so wild lions have migrated to surrounding wildlife parks in search of territory, other prides have settled near riverbeds or farmlands on the sanctuary's borders, leading to conflict with nearby villagers.
In 2013, the Supreme Court ordered Gujarat to relocate some lions to other states to prevent the population from being hit all at once by a natural disaster or disease. But Gujarat has resisted moving any of the lions, saying it does not trust other Indian states to protect the big cats.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
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