Asiatic Lion - Data, Pictures & Videos

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History         
Evolution and migration of lion is connected with climatic changes. Lion is a inhabitant of open country savannah, sparse subtropical dry deciduous scrub forests and dry thorny forests.
 
The Lion like many of our wild animals is a migrant from outside the country. Entering India from the north western passes, it had spread over practically the whole of north and western part of India from Sindh to Bengal and Ganges and Indus on the north to Narmada. Before the close of the last century the Asiatic Lion had become extinct from its range except Gir. The nawab of Junagadh provided adequate protection to Lions in Gir and prohibited hunting form 1911.  
 
Lions deserted the Barda and Alech Hills in later half of nineteenth century. Lions started appearing in Mitiyala forests from 1917 onwards. Lions were last seen in the Girnar Hills till 1963. They were again recorded in the region in the 1974 census.
 
Fact & Figures       

• Average body size of a male lion is 262 cm long and that of a lioness is 245 cm. Average weight 160 kg and 125 kg for lion and lionesses respectively.
• Adult lions has tawny colour. Lions have moderate mane between ears. It develops rapidly at the age of two years. The coat thickness changes with seasons.
• The temperament of lions is cool and tolerant to human presence but they may attack if humans venture too close.
• Territorial advertisement by roaring, scrapping and spraying is done by adult males. It is only member of cat family which is truly gregarious.
• Lions hunt together and it has been observed that a group lions hunting together have a higher chance of success than a solitary lion hunt due to division of labour during hunting, protecting and guarding while eating.
• The largest tenure of males within a pride is six years. The whiskers, special sensory hairs are used as alternative sensory device in the dark.
• Lions do not have a very strong sense of smell. However sense of hearing is very strong. Sense of sight is exceptionally acute especially in detecting the slightest movement.
• Vocalisation like growling, snarling, mewing, grunting and roaring are some of the usual calls.
• The roar of the male lion can be heard for miles around. The main purpose is to claim exclusive rights over a territory. Life span is about 14 to 15 years in the wild.
  

 
Population Dynamics     
The lion population estimation in the past compiled from various source are as follows:

Year	Authority	Numbers
1880	Col. Watson	About 12 (E)
1893	The then Junagadh State	About 31 (E)
1905	Maj. Carnegy	About 60 to 70 (E)
1905	The then Junagadh state	About 100 (E)
1913	Mr. Wrangler	Not more than 20 (E)
1920	Mr P R Cadel	About 50(E)
1920	Mr Ratnagar	At least 100 (E)

Population estimation from census

Year	Numbers
1968	177
1974	180
1979	205
1985	239
1990	284
1995	304
2001	329
2005	359±10
2010	411

The 2010 census said that Gir forests, the last abode of the Asiatic lion, have a total of 411 lions which includes 77 cubs, 120 males, 185 lionesses and 29 lions whose sex could not be ascertained.
 
Reproduction and Mortality      
There is no rigidly fixed breeding season in Lions. Many lions mate between Oct to December and young ones produced around January to march. Birth of cubs shows two peaks in winters and monsoon. Litter size recorded in Gir is between 1 to 4 (average 2.6). Cub survival upto recruitment or the sub-adult stage was estimated to be 56%. Cub mortality is mainly due to starvation. Predation as a cause of mortality is also recorded in Gir. Cubs associate closely with their mother until she has another litter or they are two years old. Learning how to hunt begins at an early age. Lionesses reach maturity at the age of 4 while male require some more months to reach sexual maturity.
 
Food Pattern          
About 75 % of food of lions comes from predation of domestic livestock and 25 % from wild ungulates (Joslin, 1969). As per studies conducted later, this percentage changed to 25 % livestock and 75 % of wild ungulates (Ravi Chellam, 1990). The ranking for prey species for lion are chital, buffalo, sambar, cattle, Nilgai, wild boar, peafowl, camel, langur, chowsingha. Studies there after shows that livestock comprise about 20 % of the lions diet.
 
Migration     
Recent years have witnessed lions moving outside sanctuary limits. Prides of lions are seen to occupy territories in Girnar, Mitiyala, grasslands in Maliya, Jesar and Palitana and coastal forests permanently. Some of the reasons for migration of lions are

• Good conservation efforts in Gir resulting in a continuous flow of young individual lions looking to rehabit new areas,
• New areas having good potential as lion habitat with respect to availability of prey (wild ungulates and feral cattle) and shelter,
• Unhindered and safe movement of lions from Gir and to these locations because of the topography, cropping pattern and land use.
• Attitude of the local people which is highly conservation oriented, whereby they feel pride in the fact that lions have inhabited their land.
  

 
Territoriality and Home Range 
Lions are territorial predator, the proof of which is ferocious fights that takes place between males to establish supremacy in their territories. Lions pride has a well defined home range within which pride members remain confined. The lions squirt urine mixed with scents from anal glands through which it delineates its home range.
 
In a study by the Wild life Institute of India Dehradun it, the average territory of males lions in Gir has been found out to be 89 (+/-) 48 sq km and that of a female lion 24 (+/- ) 7.8 sq km. Season affects home range in lions. Lions are social animals and live and hunt in family groups. Group size varies with sex and age. For females it is 1-11 (averaging 1.3 excluding cubs) and for male it is 1-5 (averaging 1.4). Male lions spent 73-85 % of their time resting. However, territorial males have been found to spend 63 % of their active time in territorial advertisement indicating that the territory defense was the most important activity for them.

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Source: http://www.gujaratlion.com/history-evolution.htm

Enjoy the reading, from the official page, with official data. [img]images/smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]
 

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