Indian farmer grabs injured lioness by the TAIL 'to prove to friend it was alive'Â Cattleman found lion wounded on ground in India's Gir wildlife sanctuary Realising it was hurt, they reported their find to local conservationists Forestry officials could not find the animal and they called the farmer back He found the lion again, grabbed its tail and poked it to prove it was alive Film taken by his friend was initially mistaken for them taunting the animalÂ But officials confirm animal was only recovered because cattlemen had contacted themÂ This is the moment an Indian cattleman grabs a wild lion by the tail and pokes it with a stick - while his friend filmed it. The pair had been driving their cattle through the Jasadhar forest range area of India's Gir wildlife sanctuary -Â the only home of rare Asiatic lions and a key conservation area in Asia. Kanu Vala, 29, and 31-year-old Shiva Lakhantra found the lioness lying on the ground and unable to walk. An Indian cattleman came held this Asiatic lion by the tail while his friend filmed him after the pair had come across the wounded animal in the wild Kanu Vala poked the animal with a stick to prove to conservationists that it was still alive and in need of help When they realised that she was wounded, and seemed unable to move, they raised the alarm with forestry officials. Vala said: 'I told him exactly where it was, but about five hours later I got a call saying they couldn't find it and it must have moved on.Â But because we were near the area we had a look on the way back, and saw that the lion was still there in exactly the same spot. 'It was clearly not well, and so we shot a video of me holding the lion's tail and poking it with my stick to show them that it was clearly alive and in need of help.Â 'We then sent them the video, to prove we were telling the truth.'Â When the men realised the lion was wounded, and seemed unable to move, they raised the alarm with forestry officials Officials have confirmed that the animal, which could not walk properly, was recovered as a result of a report by the two men and is now being treated The man in charge of conservation in the area, Rayal Meena, said: 'As a result of being informed about the injured animal, we recovered it and took it to the Jasadhar Animal Care centre late in the evening.' The video, which was initially misunderstood as showing the men taunting the animal by local media, quickly went viral. But officials have confirmed that the animal, which could not walk properly, was recovered as a result of a report by the two men and is now being treated.Â Â India's Gir wildlife sanctuary is the only home of the Asiatic lion and a key conservation area in Asia. The animals are listed as an endangered species with just hundreds left in the wild. Asiatic Lions are listed as an endangered species with just hundreds left in the wild. Two lions are pictured above at a zoo Also known as Indian Lions, they once could once be found across Asia - but loss of habitat and hunting almost led to their extinction before the population recovered to more than 400 in 2010.Â The subspecies of lion can grow to up to 2.5m long and weigh up to 250kg. They differ from male lions in a number of ways includingÂ a larger tail tuft and a less developed mane.Â In the wild, they feed on wild pigs, cattle, antelope and deer.