Increase in Gir lions’ strength must be sustained
The increase in the lion population at the Gir National Park in Gujarat is as much a matter of national pride as it is welcome news for the planet. The Gir forest is the last remaining abode of the Asiatic lion, also known as the Persian lion, for it once roared across West Asia. However, even before the end of the 20 century, the lion had been eliminated from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey and modern-day Israel. In India, they disappeared from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana; surviving only in Gujarat's Gir forest because the animal-loving Nawab of Junagarh banned hunting in this private grounds. Had the big cats disappeared from there too, they would have been lost to the world forever.
That their numbers have been consistently on the rise, marks a major victory for wildlife conservation efforts in India. Earlier this year the tiger census also showed an increase in population by as much as 30 per cent. But remember, while at the turn of the previous century, about 45,000 tigers roamed the country, there were just about a dozen Asiatic lions remaining.
In fact, it was this shocking revelation that prompted the Nawab of Junagarh to take action in the early 1900s. Yet, despite early conservation efforts, the situation improved only at a snail's pace, with less than 200 lions being counted in the 1970s. Consequently, in 2000, the Asiatic lion was declared a critically endangered species. By 2005, however, the population had swelled to 250 and the Asiatic lion removed from the list. In the 10 years since, the population has more than about doubled — the Gir is now home to 523 lions.
An important reason for this almost meteoric rise is the support of the locals, especially from the Maldhari community, who have become an integral part of the Government's conservation efforts, helping minimise man-animal conflict and control poaching.
To sustain the growing population, the Government needs a new conservation strategy. The Gir National Park is already a full house and hundreds of lions now live outside the protected area. In fact, it is in these primarily human habitats that the lion population has shown a significant rise (the population within the forest seems to have stabilised). This is a matter of concern. In this past year alone, 14 lions were killed in road and rail accidents, and it is only a matter of time before man-animal conflicts start taking a toll. Obviously, new habitats with proper prey pools and water points are needed, but this is easier said than done.
The Gujarat Government must also seriously consider re-locating some lions to neighbouring States and regions. This will also help protect the species, in case of an epidemic. In 1994, a sudden outbreak of disease killed over a 1,000 African lions in just a few days. Such a situation cannot be ruled out in Gujarat because so many of the lions live in close proximity to humans. It would be a tragedy if the Asiatic lions, which have returned from the brink of extinction, now fall prey to parochial interests.