Asiatic Lion - Data, Pictures & Videos

[Rishi]

Lion finally gets its Project Tiger variant
Updated: Nov 18, 2018, 04:58 IST

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AHMEDABAD: The Union minister of environment, forests and climate change (MoEFCC) has approved a Rs 100-crore project for conservation of the Asiatic lion, which is to be implemented over three years. The ministry has, for the first time, roped in the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) as the implementing agency, along with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the Gujarat forest department.

Presently the Union government spends Rs 15 lakh per tiger per year, lesser than Rs 1 lakh per lion is available each year.

The project proposal, titled “The Recovery and Conservation of Endangered Lions in Gujarat”, was discussed at the standing committee meeting of the National Board for Wildlife (NBW), after which the MoEFCC gave its final stamp of approval. The project is being sent to the Gujarat forest department for its final comments.
“We have received the proposal from the MoEFCC for our comments. We have reservations about the implementation, as we would like control to be with the Gujarat forest department. We would want to take up projects according to our priorities,” said Akshay Saxena, principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife).

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The project proposal states, “Despite a successful recovery, the Asiatic lion exemplifies all typical impediments of carnivore conservation, such as a small population restricted to a single site with reduced genetic diversity and long ranging conflict with human interests. Lion mortality due to anthropogenic causes (such as poaching, poisoning of prey carcasses etc, which act as additives to natural causes of mortality) and loss of potential lion habitats owing to fragmentations and natural calamities triggered by climate change are likely to further exacerbate the situation.”

The proposal, prepared by the WII, lays emphasis on creating a second home within the home range in Gujarat, and has underscored the need to prepare Barda as an alternative site in the state. It recommends that 200-odd Maldharis families be rehabilitated, as they are willing to move out, following which 30-odd lions can be released in the Barda sanctuary.
The proposal states that 40 animals should be radio-collared and their movements monitored. Moreover, the MSTrIPES patrol module, which is implemented for Tiger sanctuaries, should be implemented for monitoring and should be the customized for lion-centric conservation in the Gir landscape. Moreover, apart from MSTrIPEs, a few others lions should be radio collared for monitoring.

Moreover, the proposal also emphasizes disease surveillance and collecting blood samples, not only of wild lions, but also of dogs and cattle on the periphery of the sanctuary. Reply