In this Diu village, lions are unwelcome guests

Rajkot: The people of Bucharwada in Diu are a sleepless lot. Sometimes, a rustle in the darkness sends shivers down their spines, other times a piercing roar cuts through the darkness, keeping them awake. The growing presence of Asiatic lions is a new fear for residents who live scattered inside the reserve forest in the union territory adjacent to the forest and close to Diu city. While the rising lion population in the greater Gir area is good news for conservationists, Bucharwada villagers want to see less of these big cats ‘spilling over' into their village and surrounding areas. Efforts by Diu and the Gujarat forest department to keep them away have shown little results.
Wildlife activists say that the first sighting in Diu — a lioness — was in 1995-96. It had become a big talking point then. Forest officials worked for a month and half before the lioness and her cubs were captured for relocation. Thereafter, sightings remained rare until last year. Since 2024, lions are frequently venturing into Diu and its villages, keeping forest officials on their toes and villagers wary. Lion movement near the famous Nagoa beach on the Nagoa-Vanakbara road and near Diu airport was widely circulated on social media recently. Last year, around five rescue operations were carried out jointly by Diu and Gujarat forest officials, capturing six lions.
Lions cross a creek from the Gujarat side during low tide towards Dangarwadi in Diu, and move to Bhucharwadi, Nagoa and Vanakbara.
Getting news of a lion sighting or discovery of a kill in the union territory has now become common for villagers and officials. In a bid to redirect lions back into the forest, forest teams also move the half-eaten prey near to the Gujarat border, but as newer prides seek new territories, the teams have a lot of ground to cover.
"When the lions are captured from Diu, we request the Gujarat forest department to release them somewhere away and not in the area from where they were believed to have travelled. But we have observed since the past year that lions are getting more acquainted with this area, and come here for food, water and new territory," said a Diu forest officer.
Wildlife photographer Bhushan Pandya said, "Diu is an active corridor currently for lions. A lion's pride requires a significant area for territory, and because of the increasing population in greater Gir, the lions are in search of newer grounds."
The reserve forest of Diu provides prey like Nilgai and wild boar and water, but lacks dense vegetation like Gir, which provides shelter to lions.