In India, there are several places where roads and highways cut through jungles and wildlife sanctuaries. We often come across videos where wild animals, usually elephants, attack cars and tourists passing through these roads. Not just elephants, there have been cases where people have narrowly escaped such attacks. Here, we have one such video where a biker spots a lion watching them closely as they pass by the road. The heart-stopping video was caught on camera and posted online.
The video was shared on a Reddit forum. It was recorded by the pillion rider of the bike passing through the area. We see an ambulance and a cab in front of the bike. In India, only Gujarat’s Gir has Asiatic lions, and it looks like the video was recorded in that area. There have been instances where prides of lions have come out to the villages and then returned to the jungle.
Spotting lions is quite common in these areas, and locals do not disturb these creatures. Returning to the video, we see a lioness hiding in the bushes by the roadside. The lioness starts watching the vehicles closely and follows the bike. The biker and the pillion rider spotted the lioness and were probably terrified.
This is a huge animal, and that was a very natural reaction one would have when spotting such a majestic creature up close. The biker almost immediately increased speed and took cover behind the ambulance. They overtook the ambulance and stayed between the cab and the ambulance.
The video shows that the lioness remained in the same spot, watching the bikers. There was a chance that the lioness might have attacked the bikers. However, in most cases, these animals try to hide from humans and avoid conflict. There is a possibility that the lioness was waiting for prey on the other side of the road when the bikers and other vehicles passed. Whatever the case may have been, it was a good idea for the biker rider to take cover behind the ambulance.
Animal Attacks
In this video, the animal doesn’t attack any of the motorists; however, this is not always the case. In 2019, an incident was reported from Wayanad, Kerala, which is home to over 75 tigers. One tiger from the area chased a biker passing through a road that cuts through the jungle. The tiger leapt out of the jungle and charged at the motorcyclists. The riders managed to escape the attack without any issues.
Similarly, there are videos of wild elephants attacking vehicles and destroying farmlands and properties in villages near the jungle. The Indian Gaur is also a commonly spotted animal in the Western Ghats, and there have been incidents where it has attacked motorists. These animals are often forced to come out of the jungle in search of food.
They often get scared by the noise made by vehicles. The lights and sounds of horns are new to these creatures, and they get frightened. Out of fear, they charge at the vehicles and attack people in them. Avoid traveling through such areas alone and never get too close to wild animals for your own safety.