By IANS
Junagadh (Gujarat) : Two forest guards were forced to spend two hours of a bitterly cold night stranded in the Girnar jungle after they came face to face with a pride of 13 lions.
A.I. Kathi and Rajubhai were on their routine night patrol near the Surajkund area on the foothills of the Girnar range, in Gujarat’s Junagadh district and about 300 km from Ahmedabad, when they chanced upon the lions savouring a kill at 9 p.m. Wednesday.
The guards were on a motorbike and had to stop since the road ahead was completely blocked by the lions. Armed only with wooden batons, they stood immobilised with fear and cold for a long time.
Fortunately, the terrified guards had mobile phones and managed to call range forest officer (south range) S.K. Jadeja for help. Jadeja warned them not to do anything to irritate the hungry lions and said he and his team would soon come to their rescue.
After two long hours of nerve racking wait, the duo spotted a jeep carrying Jadeja and a group of rescuers. With headlights blazing at the lions, the team managed to rescue the two guards who were at their wit’s end.
The Girnar forest is spread over 180 sq km and has 35 lions.