Friday, December 26, 2008

Lions on road cause majestic traffic jam

Lions on road cause majestic traffic jam
24 Dec 2008, 2300 hrs IST, TNN
AHMEDABAD: This was a traffic that just wanted to stay jammed. On Monday night the traffic on Una-Gir Gadadha road in Junagadh district of Gujarat froze for a couple of hours and nobody seemed to mind it. After all, it is not everyday do you get to see a lion and lioness parked in the middle of a road enjoying the cool evening breeze. This couple was spotted near Dholiwav village around 8 pm. Drivers who saw them stood some 500 metres away, soaking in the sight. Eyewitnesses said as the news spread, people gathered, careful not to breach the romantic moment. Amit Unadkat, who went to watch the lions, told TOI, "For the past few days one could see a group of lions moving near Ramdechi village about two km from Talala. The spotting of lions here is quite common.'' Rajesh Patel, a resident of Gir Gadadha, said that seeing the two big cats on the roads, traffic came to a halt and no one dared move. Patel immediately called some of his friends and they all set out to see the lions. "People were sensitive enough not to disturb the couple. There was a lot of noise, but the two seemed oblivious of it,'' said Patel. It was nearly a couple of hours before the lions decided it was time to go back into the jungle, and the engines revved up to proceed.