A retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer posted a clip on X in which a majestic Asiatic lion saunters up a flight of steps going through the Shatrunjaya hills near Palitana, Bhavnagar. The steps sit at the heart of a pilgrimage route, surrounded by trees and crowds of devotees. As the lion climbs at an unhurried pace, a group of pilgrims can be seen panicking, running and shouting — yet the big cat remains completely unfazed, showing no aggression whatsoever.

The officer captioned the post, “Wildlife thrives where humans make space. Another day in Gujarat. Lion in Satrunjaya hills near the city of Palitana in the Bhavnagar district of Gujarat.”

The footage quickly went viral, racking up thousands of views and a flood of comments. One user wondered, “Interesting how they learned or trained not to attack humans?”. Another comment read, “Wow! What a blessing being the one who shot this video and all who saw the lion.”

The forest department has since confirmed the authenticity of the video and noted that Shatrunjay Hill falls within the lions’ natural habitat. Officials say about 20‑25 lions inhabit the wider Palitana region, with several settled near the foothills of the hill. Guards were deployed to monitor the area and pilgrims were urged to keep a safe distance.