Lions, leopards also find Diu’s coastal beauty alluring

Rajkot: Not just beach lovers, but wild animals too are finding the picturesque Portuguese town of Diu, a perfect getaway these days!.
While a lion has been sauntering in the area close to the famed Nagao beach and nearby villages for a month now, a leopard has been finding the walls of the imposing fortress a comfortable place to stroll.
A leopard was spotted on the CCTV moving around in the fortress castle on the beach on Sunday night.This is the second time that a leopard has been seen in the fort in less than a month.
The leopard spotting comes at a time when the forest officials in Diu are struggling to capture the lion, which is believed to be 7-8 years old after a video of it being chased by some car occupants on the road near Nagao beach went viral a few days ago.
The sudden spotting of a lion and leopard in this favourite watering hole of Gujarat is a throwback to a similar situation that was witnessed some 30 years ago. Wildlife experts suspect that the felines are trying to make the union territory and the nearby villages their home.
Diu is surrounded by Amreli and Gir-Somnath districts, both of which have a sizeable population of lions moving around in the revenue (non-protected areas) and many live in talukas like Rajula and Jafrabad where the wild cats live close to the sea. Rajula, Jafrabad and Tulsishyam (in Gir-Somnath district) are an average 55-60 km from Diu, a distance that lions can easily traverse in search for a new home.
Lions enter Diu through Dangarwadi village from the sea creek during low tide.
Rajdeepsinh Jhala, deputy conservator of forest, Gir (east), explained: “It’s a popular belief that lions can’t swim but they do so during low tide and reach Diu by swimming through the creek area. We have a team consisting a tracker, a beat guard and a veterinary doctor in Diu to capture the lion, but the animal is shy and evasive that is making our job difficult.”
Steeped in Portuguese history, Diu is thronged by lakhs of tourists seeking solace in its pristine beaches. Wildlife experts note that Diu was a historical territory for lions, but they have not been permanent residents of the area for the past five decades.
Bhushan Pandya, a veteran wildlife photographer, recalled, “A lioness was spotted moving near the Nagoa beach in 1996-97 along with her two cubs. It took six weeks for the forest department team to rescue the lioness. The cubs were captured but she was alert and couldn’t be caught easily.” Pandya said the lioness and cubs were brought to Sasan and released in the wild after tagging them.
“They were released and the cubs also became adult and also gave birth whose photo I had captured.”
Sources from the forest department indicate that very few lion movements have been recorded in the Diu area since 2005, as they have expanded their territory towards Rajula, Jafrabad, and Bhavnagar.
A senior forest officer suggested two possibilities: either the lion is seeking a new territory and may bring a female and cub after confirming the availability of sufficient prey and water, or its companion male lion has died, forcing it to find a new home after being ousted by other male lions.
Foresters confirmed that there is an adequate prey base in the forest areas and villages of Diu, including Nilgai and domesticated animals, to support the lions’ survival.
Meanwhile, the Diu collector had issued an advisory warning locals to be vigilant against a possible attack by wild animals after a leopard was spotted in the fort and the lion sauntering around.
Locals and the forest department heard lion's roars and its movement was also captured on CCTV last week.