Sir — This refers to the editorial, “Taking pride in numbers” (May 13). It is wonderful to know that the Asiatic lion population in the Gir sanctuary of Gujarat has risen to 523 — a first in five years. Turkey and Iran were the two other countries which boasted of the Asiatic lions, but the big cats are now extinct there. The enumerators of the Gir lion study adopted the ‘direct sighting’ method to count lions, which must have helped in accuracy. Also, modern techniques like global positioning system, geo-reference and videography were put to good use by the Gujarat Government.
However, the State Government should not rest on its laurels. It should leave no stone unturned to protect the lions, by adopting strict anti-poaching measures, minimising man-animal conflicts and taking novel measures to protect the lion habitat. The Gujarat Government should also think about trans-locating a few lions from the Gir sanctuary to Madhya Pradesh, as directed by the Supreme Court.