Lions attack safari vehicle in Karnataka's Bannerghatta Biological Park

Wildlife lovers who went on a safari in Karnataka's Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) were in for a scare when two lions attacked their vehicle, last week. 

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A Toyota Innova, with visitors inside, was attacked by two lions who had been tracking the vehicle and charged when it stopped.  An Innova is used in the park for those who pay higher fares for the tour, as it is a luxury car. 

The video of the incident was shot by a safari bus driver behind the Innova. The video, which was shown on local TV channels, shows one lion trying to cross the vehicle while another tries to climb on it and bite the rear window. When the vehicle starts moving again the lions leave.

The driver of the particular Innova was removed from safari duty after the incident, as the car should never have stopped, said BBP executive director, Santosh Kumar. 

"The attack took place on January 28 or 29. The driver is clearly at fault. He should never have stopped the car, which he probably did to please the visitors. We've removed him from safari duty," he told TOI. "We'are planning to send a proposal to the state government to remove small vehicles like this and retain only safari buses. This will ensure safety of animals as well as that of visitors," he added.

Safari vehicles are usually covered in mesh and the Innova had them on the sides, but not on the windscreen and rear glass. 

There are 20 lions in the safari area in prides of four or five in the BBP. 

Veterinarians of BBP said that the behaviour of lions was normal. 

"The lions or any other animal in the safari could have chased the vehicle out of curiosity or to break the boredom that captive animals have. If you see such videos, you will observe that lions don't attack the vehicle or people in it. They stop whenever the vehicle stops," said a veterinarian.

While another one pointed to the stress the animals are in when visitor vehicles increase in number. "Sometimes, taunts and noise by visitors also irritate them," he said.

This is not the first time that a lion has attacked a safari vehicle. In September 2016, lions had attacked another Innova.