A man from Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district was arrested after a video of him dangerously approaching a lion mid-meal went viral on social media.
The incident happened in the Sim area between Bambhor and Talli villages in Talaja, where the man, identified as Gautam, walked up to the wild cat—phone in hand—while it was feeding on prey. The lion, clearly disturbed, growled and briefly moved toward him. Villagers in the background can be heard shouting to distract the animal as Gautam slowly backed away.
No injuries were reported, but the recklessness of the act triggered outrage online. Forest officials tracked Gautam down and arrested him under multiple sections of the Forest Act.
“This wasn’t curiosity—it was a blatant violation of safety and wildlife protection,” said a forest officer. “He’s lucky to be alive.”
The video serves as a stark reminder: endangering wildlife for social media clout isn’t brave, it’s criminal.