Eight Asiatic lions were saved by loco pilots successfully stopping trains in time while passing through their habitat in Gujarat’s Saurashtra region in two days, the Western Railway said in a statement.
On Sunday, loco pilot Dhaval P, noticed five lions crossing the railway tracks between Rajula City and Pipavav in Amreli district. He stopped the goods train, which was going from Hapa to Pipavav Port, by applying emergency brakes. The loco pilot informed Lokesh Sah, train manager (guard). After the forest guard reached the spot, made sure the lions were safe and gave the departure signal, the train left.
A day earlier, on Saturday, loco pilot Sunil Pandit noticed a lioness along with two cubs crossing the railway tracks on the section between Chalala village and Dhari town. He stopped the passenger train No. 09292 Amreli-Veraval by applying emergency brakes. The loco pilot informed the train manager (guard) Vidyanand Kumar. The forest guard reached the spot and saw that the lions had moved away from the railway tracks. The train was then asked to depart, said a statement from Mashooque Ahmad, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager of the Bhavnagar division.
The statement further said that continuous efforts are being made to ensure the safety of lions and other wildlife with the loco pilots operating trains vigilantly and following the prescribed speed. It also put the number of lions saved so far in the financial year 2024-25 at 104.
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