In Court

Notice on gir lion deaths: The Supreme Court of India on October 29 sought responses of the Centre and the Gujarat government on a petition seeking steps in Gir forest to contain large-scale poaching and to fence open wells to save Asiatic lions from extinction. An advocate who filed the petition before the court demanded a CBI probe into the poaching of Asiatic lions in Gir. The petition claimed that poaching is rampant in Gir forests as their bones and other body parts are in great demand in China. The petition also said that the presence of open wells in the reserve often prove fatal for the big cats. "The reserve contains 300 wells without parapet walls and many lions have fallen in the wells in search of water,' the petitioner said. In October two cubs fell victim to these open wells, he pointed out.