Asiatic Lion - Data, Pictures & Videos

[Sanju]

‘Rope in experts for monitoring CDV ’

The additional director general (wildlife), of the Union forest ministry, Soumitra Dasgupta, advised the Gujarat forest department to rope in national institutes such as the Indian Veterinary Research Institute and Indian Institute of Virology, for disease surveillance and monitoring in lions.

Speaking at a webinar marking World Lion Day, Dasgupta said after the outbreak of CDV and babesia in 2018, the Union government launched a project for which Rs 98 crore was sanctioned over three years. He said that the Union forest ministry and the Gujarat forest department are working together on disease monitoring. He said lions are not on the pride of Gujarat but of the nation.

The other speakers advocated the need for setting up a population away from Gir, such as Barda in Gujarat. Dasgupta also touched upon the translocation to Madhya Pradesh and sought to know the Gujarat government’s opinion on it and on moving lions from Gir to Barda.

However, Gujarat principal chief conservator of forests Shyamal Tikadar did not broach the the issue of translocation. S P Yadav, member secretary of the Central Zoo Authority, said there are 208 zoo-bred lions that can be released into the wild. He said there are 31 zoos that are active in conservation and breeding programmes with Sakkarbaug Zoo being the leader.

Sakkarbaug has 26 male and 36 female lions.
“It would be a good idea to release the captive population in the wild and establish a second population in another part of the country.”

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city...w&from=mdr Reply