Asiatic Lion Population Soars to 891, Marking Major Conservation Success

Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh, in a written reply, said as per the information received from Gujarat, the lion population has inhabited new areas like notified forest areas, river corridors, as well as revenue wastelands.

The State has taken up various measures to manage human-wildlife conflicts and disease vulnerability by strengthening veterinary facilities, he said.

He said the Barda Wildlife Sanctuary has been developed as a second home for the lion population, and corridor management initiatives have facilitated safe movement between sub-populations, for natural expansion into new habitats.

In addition, habitat improvement initiatives are also taken up in the newer areas inhabited by the lion population. A Hi-Tech Monitoring Unit was established at Sasan-Gir in 2019 for real-time tracking of lions using radio telemetry, he said.

Listing the measures taken by Gujarat for increasing the lion population, he said a comprehensive satellite telemetry study was carried out to generate scientific data on lion ecology, spatial distribution, corridor use, movement of satellite populations, seasonal patterns, land-use preferences, and key management zones.

Trackers have been engaged to sensitise the nearby population regarding wild animal movement in the area, and improvement and restoration of grasslands, prey base augmentation, and habitat improvement have also been undertaken across Gir and Greater Gir Lion landscape, he said.

Other steps include augmentation of water resources to reduce animal movement toward human-dominated areas; SOP for protection of lions around railway tracks developed, speed restrictions of trains in hotspot areas and monitoring and patrolling of the area around railway tracks and Management of satellite populations in the Greater Gir Landscape and strengthening of protection, the MoS said.

- IANS