Asiatic lion

The Asiatic lions’ Census was released recently which show an increase by 29% over five years to an estimated 674 in the Gir forest region and other revenue areas of coastal Saurashtra.

key points:

• As per the data released by Gujarat Forest Department, the number of Asiatic lions in the state has increased by about 29% as compared to the census done in the year 2015.
• According to the new census by the Forest Department, at present the total number of Asiatic lions in the state has been stated to be 674 as compared to only 523 in the year 2015.
• Currently there are 260 female, 161 male, 45 male sub-adult, 49 female sub-adult, 22 (unknown sex) and 137 cubs among the state’s total of 674 Asiatic lions.
• Along with this, the migration area of ​​Asiatic lions in the state has also increased by 36%, currently the migration area of ​​Asiatic lions in the state is 22,000 sq km in the year 2015. Increased from 30,000 sq km. has reached.

Asiatic lion

• They are also known as Indian Lion.
• The scientific name is Panthera leo persica.
• Its current range is restricted to the Gir National Park and environs in the Indian state of Gujarat.

Conservation status

• It is listed in Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
• It is listed in Appendix I of CITES
• It is listed as Endangered as per IUCN Red List.

Start of census of lions:

• The first lion census was conducted in the year 1936 by the then Nawab of Junagadh.
• Since 1965, the Forest Department has been regularly performing census of lions every five years.
• Earlier, the 6th, 8th and 11th census was delayed by one year due to various reasons.

Reason for cancellation of census:

• This census, which takes place regularly every fifth year, could not be conducted on the scheduled date due to the COVID-19 epidemic spreading in the country this year.
• After the nationwide lockdown was announced by the Prime Minister on 25 March, more than 1500 Forest Guard, Range Forest Officer and some other employees of the Forest Department were deployed to implement the lockdown properly.

Importance of census of year 2020:

• The number of Asiatic lions rose from 411 (year 2010) to 523 in the 2015 census.
• But a month after this census, 12 lions died in the sudden flash floods in Amreli (Gujarat).
• After this, in the year 2018, more than 20 lions died due to the outbreak of ‘Canine Distemper Virus-CDV’ and ‘Babesiosis’.
• In the summer of this year too, there were reported outbreaks of ‘Babesiosis’ in the forests of Gir and about 23 Asiatic lions died.

Due to the increase in the number of Asiatic lions:

• The Gir forests have seen a steady increase in the population of Asiatic lions in recent years.
• According to forest department officials, migration management, hunting and food arrangements and human-animal conflicts have been reduced through the use of technology and other important efforts by the department for the conservation of Asiatic lions.
• In addition, vaccine was also imported to deal with ‘Canine Distemper Virus’.
• In 2018, the ‘Asiatic Lion Conservation Project’ was launched by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

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