The lion census will be conducted in and around the Gir forest sanctuary — the only abode of Asiatic lions — from May 2 this year. The Gujarat forest department conducts lion census every five years. last time it was done in the year 2010, in which 411 Asiatic lions were recorded indicating increase of 52 big cats compared to earlier census in the year 2005.
“The five-day long exercise of counting Asiatic lions will begin after the celebration of Gujarat Day (May 1). The State forest department will initiate five-day long exercise in entire Saurashtra region except Surendranagar district,” said a senior forest official, adding that movement of loins were recorded in Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar, Botad, Porbander and Rajkot districts as well as Union Territory Diu too, apart from Junagadh, Amreli and Gir Somnath districts where Gir forest is situated.
According to him, the census will cover 25,000 sq km area which is highest ever as in the year 2010 and 2005 the lion census exercise covered 10,000 sq km and 5000 sq km areas in Saurashtra region. Though majority of lions are concentrated in 1,800 sq km areas including Gir Sanctuary, Gir National Park as well as Paniya, Mityala and Girnar sanctuaries, but many lions have stray outside their traditional abode and strayed outside this area. Hence, nearly 23,000 sq km area added for census, where lion movements were recorded in the past few years.
Talking on the methodology of census, the official said that lions will be counted using the direct sighting method and pug marks. Earlier, bait-based census was conducted to count lions but now it has been banned by the Gujarat Government. This time technology will also be utilised as Global Positioning System (GPS), videography and photography will also be done as per requirements for accuracy in census.
Despite few deaths of few lions due to train accidents, the experts believe that chances of lion population may cross 450.