Lion targets safari vehicle at Bannerghatta park

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru: September 7, 2016, DHNS: Tourists and officials of Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) were alarmed after a lion attacked an SUV  carrying a family on a safari, raising questions over visitors’  safety.

The incident, the second in as many weeks, went viral on social media. Though no person was injured or the vehicle damaged, it rattled tourists and officials alike. Park’s Executive Director Santosh Kumar, however, described the captive animal’s behaviour as nothing alarming. “Dharma (the lion) just chased a vehicle. Last week also he chased the same vehicle. However, he did not attack it. He stopped when the vehicle halted,” he said.

As a precaution, Park authorities have decided not to use the vehicle. They have also asked veterinarians and experts to find out the reason behind Dharma’s behaviour. The executive director said the lion could have been stressed out due to the increase in the number of safari vehicles on the route.

In a similar incident five years ago, a tiger had scratched an SUV that belonged to the Park director, following which the authorities replaced the vehicle immediately. In 1992, a tiger had pounced on a baby girl held by her grandfather in the open doorway of a safari vehicle and killed her.

The incident prompted officials to mesh the vehicles’ windows as an extra measure of protection.

Dharma the lion
Born in captivity, Dharma has been a star attraction at the park due to his large mane. The 20 lions in the park are released in groups of four and five for the safari based on their compatibility. Noted tiger scientist K Ullas Karanth said the animal’s behaviour could be the result of stress.

“Animals run for cover in the wild in the face of increasing crowd. But in restricted habitats, they have no place to go and feel stressed,” he explained. Former BBP veterinarian Dr B C Chittiappa said the driver of the SUV needs to be questioned since the animals get into attack mode when they feel provoked or endangered while trying to defend themselves.

Other cases

“There are cases where the drivers get too close to the animals to excite the tourists,” said a veterinarian at the park. “It is also possible that the animal did not like the sound of the vehicle or the vehicle might have been used to transport meat, in which case the beast would have attacked it for food.”