Asiatic Lion - Data, Pictures & Videos

[Rishi]

Lion presence detected near Rajkot city

*This image is copyright of its original author

Pugmarks of two lions were found on Monday near Tramba village, some 20 kilometre away from Rajkot & they were spotted on Sunday in nearby Gondal area between Bhadla and Bhandariya villages, roughly 30 km from Rajkot. The pair preyed on a pig near Aji Dam on Monday night.

Lions had been spotted as late as November last year in forests in Chotila in Surendranagar district as well as Vinchhiya in Rajkot district, these being among the first sightings of the big cats in the region in a long time. A lioness & a cub were spotted in Dedhuki village near the temple town of Chotila in Surendranagar, along with another reported pair of males. It is uncertain whether these new lions are either of those & now wandering the area for suitable habitat patch, or trying to find their way back.
But it is confirmed that these big cats — whose population is burgeoning in Gir — had extended their footprints, of not habitat range, to a 6th district of the state!

Rajkot is over 170 kilometre from Gir Forest.

*This image is copyright of its original author

Their number is expected to have grown phenomenally with internal assessments of the forest department hinting population may have crossed the 1,000-mark! 

The next official count is scheduled in May of this year & Gujarat government has in-principle agreed to adopt the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) technology for counting lions. Upto 10,000 cameras will be used to carry out the 2020 lion census in Gujarat. Against 15,000 sq km area surveyed in 2015 census, lions will be counted in more than 25,000 sq km area spread across seven districts.

"The pugmarks of two lions were found on Monday near Tramba village, some 20 kilometre from Rajkot city. Villagers claim to have spotted them in Gondal, some 40 kilometre from Rajkot, on Sunday. Lions are known to cover 20-25 kilometre overnight," said Rajkot DFO P.T.Shiyani. 
Forest department teams have spread out on the route but have not spotted the two lions so far. The two lions may have come from & moved back towards Jasdan, some 50 kilometre east of Rajkot.
"At times, they make brief visits to far-off areas before moving back towards their habitat," Shiyani added.

Sources:
* https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/india/stor...2020-01-21
* https://m.timesofindia.com/city/rajkot/t...500676.cms
* https://m.timesofindia.com/city/ahmedaba...452456.cms Reply