
Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja has been fined $300 for clicking selfies with endangered Asiatic lions in the country’s west despite a ban on such photos, a senior forest official said on Wednesday.
Officials had ordered an investigation in June after photos of Jadeja posing in front of a pride of lions during a safari in Gir forest went viral on social media.
“We had instituted a probe and called Jadeja for a statement,” A.P. Singh, chief forest conservator in Gujarat state, told AFP. “But since he was not available, his father-in-law Hardevsinh Solanki gave a written statement on his behalf and paid the fine of 20,000 rupees ($300),” he said.
In one of the photos on Instagram, the all-rounder is seen smiling and pointing at a pride of big cats resting behind him with a caption “family photo, having good time in Sasan (Gir).”
Another is a selfie of Jadeja and his wife, as a lion looks on in the background.
The 27-year-old is currently on tour with the Indian team in the West Indies.
The photos were taken just days after the Gujarat forestry department advised tourists and locals against taking selfies with lions, following a spate of attacks in which villagers were killed or injured by the cats.
Gir wildlife sanctuary is a popular big cat safari destination and the only place where Asiatic lions remain in the wild.
Asiatic lions, slightly smaller than their African cousins and with a fold of skin along their bellies, have been increasing in numbers in Gir, with 523 recorded in the latest census.
Source: Arab News
GMT 18:30 2017 Tuesday ,26 December
FIFA trial: New York jury acquits former Peru soccer bossGMT 13:18 2017 Tuesday ,26 December
Early drama as Sydney to Hobart fleet race to break recordGMT 20:25 2017 Monday ,25 December
Klopp urges Liverpool to focus on Euro ambitionsGMT 18:35 2017 Monday ,25 December
Mutko suspends Russian football role to fight Olympic lifetime banGMT 10:11 2017 Monday ,25 December
Federer, Nadal shine as rivals hobble into 2018GMT 19:22 2017 Sunday ,24 December
Southampton's Austin charged with violent conductGMT 18:02 2017 Sunday ,24 December
'Tongan Bear' Uhila extends Clermont contractGMT 17:07 2017 Sunday ,24 December
Serena Williams to make competitive return in Abu Dhabi next week
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©
Send your comments
Your comment as a visitor