lions have brought the two BJP-ruled States, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh face-to-face even when elections are in the offing. While Gujarat is fighting a pitched legal battle in Supreme Court so that it does not have to part with any of its lions for translocation from Gir to Kuno in MP, the latter in a letter to Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has written on how Gujarat is not heeding to any of its reminders on translocation despite the orders of apex court.
Gujarat is determined for a fight to the finish in the Supreme Court. Even after the apex court rejected its review petition against lion translocation order from Gir last year, Gujarat has not given up. It has recently filed a curative petition.
According to sources, the Government has repeated the same plea as in its previous petitions to oppose the proposed translocation of lions. It has stated that the threat of poaching, gun culture in the area around Kano Palpur, inadequate rehabilitation and even the prey base in the area are not favourable for shifting of lions. They have also annexed a copy of the recent copy of the report of experts, Ravi Chellam and YV Jhala, who have also expressed some similar concerns in Kuno-Palpur area and other issues.
However, Madhya Pradesh forest department has refused to take things lying down especially after the Gujarat Government has refused to listen to any of its plea related to the issue. In yet another letter (second in two months) ,addressed to Additional Director General (Wildlife) MoEF, Chief Wildlife Warden, MP has urged the expert committee to initiate operations for shifting the lions at the earliest, as the Kuno wildlife sanctuary is ready with its preparations.
ADG is the head of this 12-member expert committee (which also includes Chellam and Jhala) set up to carry out the translocation process. The letter to MoEF further reminds of the final orders of Supreme Court order on April 15 directing MoEF to take immediate steps for their reintroduction within a time span of six months from the date of issuance of the order of the court. The apex court held that the species was under threat of extinction and needed a second home.