Asiatic Lion - Data, Pictures & Videos

[Rishi]

(05-14-2018, 10:09 AM)Wolverine Wrote: "One might not agree with Gujarat FD's actions, but their capabilities are undeniable!"

For 70 years they are not capable even to relocate the maldharis, so big are their capabilities..... Since 70's maldhari families don't trust any more to the Gujarati FD and don't want to move out of Gir forest anymore even for big money compensation. They have big ever increasing families, Gir is not full scale wild ecosystem, its a mix-vegi salad, human-animal area. So called "maldhari relocation" is the single most unsuccessful act of human relocation in the history of Indian wildlife protection. Gujarati authorities are not capable even to declare all Gir forest a national park, but Gir national park continue to cover only miserable 1/6 of the total Gir forest aria...

Once upon a time Ancient India was home of 40% of world human population, she was half of the humanity itself, India was called "The Golden Bird", "Land of the Wonders" the richest country in the planet with unthinkable and uncountable treasures. If today's Indians want to revive their country they have to think with scale, ambition and magnitude. How India could become again great country if today's Indians are not capable to relocate even a dozen of lions a few hundred miles away within their own country?....
U n b e l i e v a b l e!

You're not wrong, per se. 
Of the 10k Maldharis, majority were shifted out of the Gir protected area since the '80s, mostly from the core area & around. But after while, many just sold their allocated lands & came back. They are after all, pastoral herders!

As of mid-2016, an estimated 450 families were living at the fringes of Gir in 40 ness, their makeshift mini-villages. A survey was ordered to access the situation before planning on how to tackle it. (More details)

*This image is copyright of its original author

After the Forest Rights Act, to relocate indigenous population you'll have to prove that their coexistence with wildlife isn't possible. Although conflict is minimal & half of lions diet is their cattle, they'll probably be resettled along the forest edges with some grazing permission.

As far as the Reintroduction Project is concerned, i have mixed feelings. 

On one hand, Greater Gir is on a sort of "Darwinism overdrive" due to the space/resource constraints & nothing can replicate that in Kuno. Even if we'd had a best case scenario & to ensure the success of the relocation, only highest quality specimens are chosen (highly unlikely), it'll take much more than the planned dozen to ensure enough genetic variety. I'd rather have tigers there, given it connects Ranthambore to Madhav NP & rest of Central India Tiger Landscape.

On the other hand... 

(02-27-2018, 07:55 PM)Matias Wrote: In my opinion the Kuno Palpur reserve is too small for a translocation program, it does not have enough territory to manage a genetically healthy population in a self-sufficient manner. The existence or not of resident tigers is a minor fact, I do not think tigers are the major territorial limiters for lions. The population increase will tiger a territorial expansion disordered by areas and territories unfit for such predators. The population of Rajasthan does not have the tolerance of the people of Gujarat. When a group of lions is implanted in Kuno, all the life references of these lions are in Gir, they will continually search for "references" and not finding them will continue to search, breaking the boundaries of Kuno so fast as possible. I believe that Kuno-Palpur is, in essence, a great marketing project.

(I'm replying to your post in Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project here. With  the lion transfer being negotiated, better to get people acquainted to Kuno.)

...Kuno is perfect! With almost 1000 km² of protected habitat have been developed & with another 5000 km² around it, Kuno-Palpur has potential to be everything Greater Gir isn't & much more! 
The local population is also reasonably low & would soon learn to live with their "friendly neighbourhood Asiatic lion". 

*This image is copyright of its original author

PS: If this census really finds tiger presence in Gujarat's Dangs forest, then maybe MP could exchange tigers for more lions. 
But if resident tiger population is identified in Kuno instead, then that might become another issue. Reply