Ahmedabad, Jan 8 (PTI) A lioness drowned in an open well in in Gujarat's Gir-Somnath district, 400 kilometres from here, Forest department officials said Tuesday.

The incident took place in Pandva village, around 40 kilometres away from the outer limits of the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, in Veraval taluka and the carcass of the lioness was retrieved Tuesday and sent for post mortem, said Deputy Conservator of Forest Junagadh Division Sunil Berwal.

Berwal said the bloated condition of the carcass suggests it may have fallen into the well a day prior.

He ruled out foul play and said it was possible that the lioness fell into the open well while chasing prey.

"Since the lioness tried to stay afloat, which was evident from her brushed nails, we can say that it was not killed and then thrown into the well. It appears to be an accident, not foul play," said Berwal.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)