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Asiatic Lion - Data, Pictures & Videos
Asiatic Lion - Data, Pictures & Videos
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Asiatic Lion - Data, Pictures & Videos
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Lion at last get its share
 *This image is copyright of its original author It was in 1972 that lions were dethroned as the national animal by Royal Bengal Tiger. Now 48 years later, the Union government has once again given the national importance to lion and declared Project Lion. While addressing the nation from the Red Fort on the Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Union government would lay emphasis on the conservation of lion through Project Lion. This is for the first time that the Union government has announced that it will take up Project Lion for the conservation of Asiatic Lions found in Saurashtra region of Gujarat. Prime Minister in his address said that the country had successfully implemented Project Tiger and Project Elephant. The project will focus on creating health infrastructure which is suitable for the lion, the PM said. The lions in Gujarat are found in an area of about 30,000sq km. Quote:A senior officer from from the Union ministry of forest and environment and climate change said that the project was expected as the Centre, after the CDV outbreak, had announced a Rs 98-crore Project Lion for creating hospital and disease surveillance. The officer said that the project would help the state to improve the habitat, engage modern technologies in lion management and surveillance and even rope in national institutes like Indian Veterinary Research Institute and National Institute for Virology for disease monitoring. The project will also address human-wildlife conflict and will be a comprehensive project involving local communities living in the vicinity of lion landscape, said a senior state forest officer. The officer said that the implementation of the project would mean more funds for the conservation of lions and for disease surveillance. At present the Asiatic lions get funds based on the project under various schemes. But Project Lion would mean a proper allocation of funds on the lines of Project Tiger. Moreover, Asiatic Lions, which are monitored only by the Gujarat Forest department, will have a body which will be taking decision for the conservation. Also the CCTV trap methods used for tiger surveillance and monitoring will also be implemented for the Asiatic Lions in the Saurashtra region. The officer said that even the Union forest ministry team, which had recently visited Gujarat forest after the death of lions in Dhari and nearby areas, had also advocated the need for Project Lion on the lines of Project Tiger. The officer said that even during the webinar on Project Lion, the Union ministry of forest and environment had asked Gujarat to rope in Indian Veterinary Research Institute and National Institute of Virology for disease surveillance. Gujarat may no longer have monopoly for lion sightings:The senior officials from the forest department in Gujarat are worried that with the implementation of Project Lion, the centre government can easily order the translocation of lions to Kuno Palpur, the issue which has been pending since April 2013. 2017 committee recommended: In 2017, the 31-member Parliamentary committee visited Gir forest on January 17, 2017 and in its report stated that the central government must take up the conservation of endangered Asiatic lions on the lines of Project Tiger. The Parliamentary committee was headed by Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury, who had strongly pitched for a ‘statutory support’ to strengthen lion conservation efforts. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city...jXFurfE0sI    
Home The Sunday Standard
'Project Lion' for conservation of Asiatic Lion announced, translocation pending By Richa Sharma NEW DELHI: The PM on August 15 announced the launch of Project Lion for conservation of the Asiatic Lion, but the Centre is yet to execute a Supreme Court order of 2013 for ensuring translocation of the wild cats from Gujarat to another state to protect them from possible extinction in case of an epidemic.
“In the recent past, the tiger population has increased at a rapid pace in the country. Now a Project Lion for our Asiatic lions is also going to be started in the country,” the PM said. Gujarat’s Gir National Park is the only abode of Asiatic Lion in the world. According to the latest count, the lion population has registered an increase of 25 per cent in the last five years and now stands at 674.
But, this has become a cause of concern for the authorities as they recognise growing challenges of habitat protection. According to a senior ministry official, translocation will not be part of the Project Lion and it’s being looked at by an expert committee set up by the ministry on the directions of the apex court.
“Project Lion will entail habitat development, engage modern technologies in lion management and address the issues of disease in lion and its associated species through advanced world class research and veterinary care. It will also address human-wildlife conflict and will be inclusive involving local communities living in the vicinity of lion landscape,” said Union environment ministry. The plan for translocation of lions from Gir to Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh dates back to 1993-94. But things have not moved so far because of the reluctance of the Gujarat government to share wild cats. Ladakh to be carbon neutral PM Modi said that just as Sikkim has made its mark as an organic state, in the coming days, Ladakh will make its identity as a carbon neutral region and work is being done in this direction. Carbon neutrality is neutral net CO2 emissions due to human activities. https://www.newindianexpress.com/thesundaystandard/2020/aug/16/project-lion-for-conservation-of-asiatic-lion-announced-translocation-pending-2183915.html (08-20-2020, 08:46 PM)Ovie11 Wrote: Home The Sunday Standard This is great news! Seems that the conflict between the human and lion populace has been getting to critical mass. I am really glad efforts are being made to help alleviate that, without simply opening season on the lions. Sounds that their efforts have had positive results for the tigers, so this could, hopefully, turn into a win-win for all involved. On a side note, and something I have been wondering as I have learned more about the Asiatic Lions, I have always been under the impression that lions and tigers do not reside in the same areas anywhere in the wild. Am I correct in assuming that? I have never read of any interaction occurring outside of captivity. Thanks for this update @Ovie11 |
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