A cattle herder in Gujarat, India, narrowly escaped a terrifying lioness attack by appearing to calm the animal by stroking its fur. The incident occurred while the man, identified as Kalubhai Boghabhai Gamara, was tending to his cattle.
The lioness ambushed Gamara, knocking him to the ground and pinning him with her front legs for more than 30 minutes. During the ordeal, the lioness exposed her teeth multiple times. Bystanders attempted to deter the predator by throwing rocks, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
In a desperate attempt to free himself, Gamara began stroking the lioness’s fur. The animal reportedly responded to this gesture by ceasing its attack and retreating into a nearby forest on its own.
"I was going to feed my cattle when the lioness suddenly attacked me from behind and pulled me down," Gamara stated in an interview with local media. "She caught hold of my hand and did not let me go for a long time."
Gamara sustained significant injuries, including wounds to his neck, head, and back, as well as a fractured left arm. He is currently hospitalized and recovering.
The forest department has initiated a search to locate and capture the lioness responsible for the attack. Gujarat’s Kathiawar peninsula is the sole natural habitat for Asiatic lions, with an estimated population of nearly 900 individuals in the state.