One keeps hearing of man-animal conflicts in India, as humans come too close to the wildlife everywhere. But in the case of a lioness, a cow, and a farmer in the Gir forest region of Gujarat, western India, the conflict was resolved so easily that it seemed either the lioness or the farmer had taken the chill pill.
A video trending on Twitter, captured through the windshield of a vehicle, shows a single lioness trying to bring down a cow, a large and strong animal despite its placid nature. Both of them are in the middle of the motorable road with forests on both sides. The place is not too far from an urban settlement, as is evident from the telecom towers visible in the distance.
The lioness isn’t having much success, working alone and lying flat on its back on the road surface, as the cow has no intention of dying quickly. Though her jaws are closed around the bovine’s neck, the big cat can’t make the kill.
While this prey-predator struggle is going on, a man appears on the road. He walks quickly, but there’s no sign of alarm or fear in his gait. By the time he gets close, the lioness has dragged the cow towards the edge of the road, where the jungle begins. The man walks back a little, casually picks up a rock, throws it at the lioness, and she decides that this isn’t her lucky day. The cow is finally free to live, destined to die another day.
This entire sequence has been filmed by people who keep laughing and chatting in their vehicle.