Days after a Government report suggested the creation of a second home for the Asiatic lions from Gujarat's Gir forest, a Parliamentary panel too has recommended that wildlife experts may be consulted for exploring the option of relocating/shifting some of the lions in nearby areas or other sanctuaries, if feasible.

The panel, headed by Rajya Sabha MP Anand Sharma, in its report 'status of forest fire', observed that lion population in the Gir forest is decreasing due to one reason or the other. "There are many unprotected wells; lions sometimes fall down in these wells, leading to their deaths. Frequent fights amongst the lions and man-animal conflicts can also be attributed for reduction in number of lions..," said the report tabled in Parliament recently.

Asiatic Lions are listed in the Schedule-I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, thereby according them the highest degree of protection.

Warning that lions can go the tigers' way as happened in Rajasthan's Sariska Tiger Reserve a few years ago where poaching of big cat was "going on unabated and consequently, Sariska had become tiger less a few years back," the panel noted that a real effort was made to populate it again.

The Committee hopes that unprotected wells of all wildlife sanctuaries/national parks of the country including the Gir Forest in Gujarat would be covered properly in order to save the wild animals falling into these wells and losing their lives.

In the wake of 23 lion deaths within a very short span of time ie September- October, 2018, the panel had sought status report from the Union Environment Ministry asking for the reason for fatalaities.

The Committee also expressed its concern that infighting amongst the lions of Gir forest, Gujarat might be due to over population of the lions in specific areas. The Committee recommends that wild life experts may be consulted for exploring relocating/shifting some of the lions in nearby areas/other sanctuaries, if feasible.

The suggestion echoes the views of the report, 'Asiatic Lion Conservation Project', which was released by Union Environment Minister Dr Harshvardhan on February 9, which said that among other conservation measures," the Government may consider the establishment of a second home for Asiatic Lions for securing the population from any threat of disease or epidemic".

The report had noted that the current rate of development-induced habitat fragmentation, loss of potential lion habitats owing to natural calamities triggered by climate change besides poaching and poisoning of prey carcasses plague the lions conservation, which are presently confined in Saurashtra region of Gujarat.