Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project

[peter]

ASIAN LIONS THEN AND NOW

Over the years, I've read many posts about Asian lions. It seems many think lions were unknown in Asia in the past. Many also think African lions were introduced to India by local rulers. I don't agree.  

In AVA (in the tiger thread), I posted more than once on a book written by J.F. Brandt ('Untersuchungen über die Verbreituing des Tigers und seine Beziehungen zur Menschheit', St. Petersburg, 1856). For his book, Brandt read just about anything written on the two big cats in Asia. To keep it short: there's no question whatsoever that lions had been known in Asia Minor, parts of India and the region north-west of India (up to north-east of Kabul in Afghanistan) for a long time.


WHERE LIONS AND TIGERS MET
 
Asia Minor (apart from parts of Central India) probably was the only place where tigers and lions lived in close proximity for a long time. I'm referring to the region just south of Georgia all the way down to the deserts to the south. Same for the region between Georgia and the Indus River to the east. Although both big cats lived in close proximity, Brandt didn't find a shred of evidence of interaction anywhere. Lions occupied open terrain and tigers (as well as bears) preferred elevated and forested parts of the same region.

Tigers living in Asia Minor belonged to Panthera tigris virgata. In most books and reports, they were described as somewhat smaller and darker (the stripes often were brownish) than those living in the northern part (the Caspian and the region east and north-east of the Caspian). They were also described as very wild at heart. Not suited for captivity. Those out for cubs usually had a rough time when they had found and taken cubs. There are many stories about tigresses entering villages and attacking villagers. The bond between tigresses and their cubs was well known, if not legendary.


INDIAN LIONS

It could be some local Indian rulers imported African lions at some stage and it could be some of these mixed with the local lions, but Brandt is very clear about lions in south-west Asia: they were there well before humans began writing about them. I also think they were not pushed out of India by tigers. Asian lions were exterminated by humans when these began to multiply and fire-arms and poison became available. The reason is they were much more visible and, therefore, vulnarable.


THE FUTURE OF INDIAN LIONS

Based on what I read in Brandt's book, lions, I think, could be re-introduced in most wild parts of Asia Minor. The problem, of course, is the region is unstable. Eastern Turkey, parts of southern Georgia and northern Irak, Iran and some parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan, however, could be suited. For now. My choice, strange as it may sound, would be the region in eastern Iran, north-western Pakistan and east and south-east Afghanistan. Barren and elevated it is, but largely deserted. We'd have to meet with some of the local warlords, of course. If there are, as rumours suggest, any Caspian tigers left, they would be in that part of Asia. Some of the former Sovjet Republics (in the extreme south of the former Sovjet-Union) could be suited as well. Things are a bit slow over there. Lions could boost tourism. But I would want to see a few Caspian tigers as well.  Reply