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Lion Population Gir Sanctuary Reaches Record High
Himanshu Kaushik | TNN | Updated: Aug 4, 2017, 11:57 AM IST


A MATTER OF PRIDE: The steady rise in lion population is an indication of robust conservation measures.

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AHMEDABAD: In the forest near Liliya-Krakach , noisy little cubs are seen sauntering around a small pond. Some are playfully pouncing on their mother who sits relaxed but watchful. These scenes in Asiatic lion's abode are not limited to Amreli district. Several forest areas outside the Gir National Park are brimming with lions, mostly in the age group of one to two years.
According to a recent internal lion count by the forest department in July this year, there are nearly 650-odd lions in the reserved forests and even outside the national park in Amreli, Bhavnagar and Gir-Somnath districts.

Gir tract is filled with cubs between one and two years of age.

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"Gir and its periphery have recorded a count of nearly 650 lions. This is record high number of big cats in the state since 1936 as per the available records. There are around 180-odd cubs between one and two years of age," said a top forest official.

The roaring rise of 125-odd lions in two years -- the lion population was pegged at 523 in 2015 lion census -- was revealed in the lion population counting exercise now undertaken every full moon day. The counting is done using 100-odd CCTVs and direct sighting method for effective monitoring of Big Cats. The monthly full moon counting is matched with the records of kills and daily reporting by beat guards, the official said.

Yadavendradev Jhala, lion expert and member of the 12-member team formed for translocation of lions from Gujarat to MP as per an SC order, said, "The number is actually much higher than 650 projected by the state forest department. A systematic count should be initiated in the entire region for effective planning for lion management."

Priyavrat Gadhvi, member of the state board for wildlife, said, "The expanding lion population is a sign of strengthening of the satellite population of big cats outside Gir National Park. It is a welcome sign indicating risk mitigation and robust growth of lions."
In 2010 census, there were 411 lions. In fact, lions were categorized as 'critically endangered' in year 2000 after only 304 lions were recorded in Gujarat's Gir in 1995 census.

The fact that there has been an increase in the population not just in Gir but its periphery areas as well is of significance because in 2015, there were concerns about the growing number of lions without adequate management by wildlife authorities, after a number of man-animal run-ins were reported. According to a 2017 report published in science journal Current Science, between 1995 and 2015, more than 40 per cent of the total number of lions in Gujarat were spotted outside Gir landscape.

Despite the increasing numbers, there have been worries that the growth in the lion population cannot be sustained in Gujarat in the coming years. "Not just lion-human conflicts but other problems too, like unnatural deaths and genetic disorders, will surface. Keeping lions only in Gujarat is also against international norms," told Ajay Dubey, the secretary of Prayatna, an NGO. Reply