Pride of India: Asiatic lionesses are slightly smaller than their African cousins, and have a fold of skin along their bellies. — AFP
The country’s Asiatic lion population has increased by over a third to 891, according to a five-yearly census, boosting efforts to conserve the vulnerable species.
The Asiatic lion – which historically once roamed from the Middle East to India – is now reduced to an isolated population in a wildlife sanctuary in India’s western state of Gujarat.
“The Asiatic lion population, which was 304 in 1995, has increased steadily over the past three decades,” Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel told reporters on Wednesday.
“In 2020 it was 674, which has now increased to 891.”
The majestic big cats are slightly smaller than their African cousins, and have a fold of skin along their bellies.
Hunting and human encroachment caused the population to plunge to just 20 by 1913, and the lions are now found only in Gujarat’s sprawling Gir wildlife sanctuary, where they roam dry deciduous forests and open grasslands. Following years of concerted government efforts, the lion population is steadily rising.
The latest counting exercise, spread over four days, covered over 35,000sq km across 11 districts in the state.
Priyavrat Gadhvi, a former member of the state wildlife board, said the increase indicated a successful conservation programme.
“Another important factor here is the political will and support of the local people living near the forest areas,” Gadhvi said.
“They together have helped in conservation of the species.”
But while numbers are rising, the conservation organisation WWF warns that the Asiatic lion faces a “threat of genetic inbreeding arising from a single population in one place”. — AFP
