Officials in India have "arrested" 18 lions as they try to find a man eater suspected of killing three people.
Forest officials in Gujarat state will test the lions' prints and excrement in an attempt to identify the killer.
The "guilty lion" will be kept in a zoo for life while the others will be released back into the Gir sanctuary, the officials told BBC Hindi.
Six attacks on humans have been reported recently near the sanctuary, the only habitat of the Asiatic lion.
Gujarat's top forest official, JA Khan, said that the lions had been "arrested" over the past two months and were now being held in separate cages while tests were carried out.
"We think we have pinpointed the guilty lion, but we are still awaiting the results of nine more animals," he said.
Wildlife expert Ruchi Dave told the BBC that the "tests" involved studying the pug marks and faecal matter of the lions.
"The officials are also studying the animals' behaviour. Man eating lions usually get aggressive at the sight of a human being," she said.
Another wildlife expert Revtubha Raizada said the man-eating lion would be caged for the rest of its life, as it was too unsafe to release it back into the wild.
Some experts feel that the thriving lion population in Gir forest is to blame for the "unusual" behaviour by the lions.
Govind Patel, the former chief wildlife warden of Gujarat, told the Indian Express newspaper that Gir could accommodate only 270 lions, forcing some prides to settle outside the boundaries of the sanctuary.
India's Supreme Court has ruled that Gujarat needed to relocate some of its lions to other states to avoid the possibility of disease or other disaster wiping out the entire population.
However the state has expressed reluctance and has not yet complied with the order.
Latest Stories
-
CJ removal saga: Akufo-Addo set a bad precendent with Charlotte Osei – Prof. Agyeman-Duah
39 minutes -
I do not agree threshold for a prima facie case against the CJ is low – Barker-Vormawor
42 minutes -
Gold Board operations will increase Ghana’s reserve- BoG Governor
49 minutes -
There must be serious introspection on petitions to remove the Chief Justice- Prof Agyeman-Duah
1 hour -
Ghana Chief Justice Suspension: Nation Grapples with Separation of Powers
1 hour -
WHO, AMMREN and GHS urge media to champion immunisation during African vaccination week
1 hour -
CJ’s suspension: Why aren’t other judges facing removal? – Ex Deputy A.G. fumes
2 hours -
CJ’s Suspension: Prima facie establishment has no basis – Ex Deputy A.G
2 hours -
ASFC 2025: Ghana U-15 girls promise to ‘kill themselves’ in final against Uganda
2 hours -
Pope Francis: Mourners reminded of his call to ‘build bridges not walls’
2 hours -
Telecel’s short notice to increase broadband price unfair – CUTS International
3 hours -
ASFC 2025: CAF concludes Young Reporters Workshop in Accra
3 hours -
IMF projects 4% growth rate for Ghana in 2025
3 hours -
Livestream: Newsfile discusses suspension of CJ and galamsey
3 hours -
ASFC 2025: CAF President Dr Motsepe arrives in Ghana for finals and key meetings
4 hours