Lions on the rise

The population of Asiatic lions is steadily increasing in the Gir sanctuary of the western Indian state of Gujarat and is expected to go up to more than 500 in the next 15 years, forest officials said.

State government officials say the population of lions as per the 2005 census was 359, but with high birth and low mortality rates, the population of lions is likely to increase drastically, which has prompted the forest department to identify new areas, exclusively for the wild beast, in the state.

In 2001, the population of lions stood at 336.

The exercise of identifying new areas comes in the wake of the National Board of Wildlife headed by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh taking up the issue of translocation of lions to a sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.

"Around 25 to 30 lions die natural deaths every year in the Gir sanctuary. However, against it, 50 lion cubs are born every year, and that is why the State Forest and Wildlife Department expects their population to go above 500 in the next 10 to 15 years", officials pointed out.

Chief conservator of forests, Pradeep Khanna said the Greater Gir project of the state government to identify new areas and make them an exclusive reserve for lions in the state will be able to give proper accommodation to lions in the state itself.At present, the Gujarat state government is in the final stage of reserving 110 sq km of additional area for the lions, Junagadh conservator of forests Bharat Pathak said.

"The area is mainly forest and wasteland and the final survey of the area is going on. Lions straying out of the Gir sanctuary will find a safe abode in the new habitats," he added.

Khaleej Times