ASIATIC
LION - ENVIRONMENT
News: Govt says 555 Asiatic lions died in
five years, no rise in mortality rate
What's
in the news?
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A total 555 Asiatic lions died in the last
five years but there has been no increase in their mortality rate, the
government told the Lok Sabha.
Key
takeaways:
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The Gir
forest in Gujarat is the only natural habitat of the Asiatic lion.
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According to government data, the number
of these big cats in Gir rose from 523 in 2015 to 674 in 2020.
Asiatic
Lions:
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The Asiatic Lion, also known as the Persian Lion or Indian Lion, is a
majestic and critically endangered big cat native to the Indian subcontinent.
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Unlike the African lion, which is found in
various countries across Africa, the Asiatic lion's natural habitat is
restricted to the Gir Forest National Park in the state of Gujarat, India.
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This subspecies of lion is one of the most endangered big cats in the
world.
○
Lions, one of the largest animal species
on earth, are scientifically named ‘Panthera Leo’.
Habitat:
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They are confined to the Gir National Park and wildlife
sanctuary and its surrounding environments in Gujarat’s Saurashtra district.
Characteristics:
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Asiatic lions are slightly smaller than African lions.
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In contrast to African Lions, Asiatic
Lions have a longitudinal fold of skin
running along its belly.
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The fur ranges in colour from ruddy tawny,
heavily speckled with black, to sandy or buff-grey, sometimes with a silvery
sheen in certain lights.
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Males have only moderate mane growth at
the top of the head so that their ears are always visible.
Threats:
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Poaching
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Habitat fragmentation
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Lions die by falling into the unguarded
wells around the Gir Protected Area.
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The threat of genetic inbreeding arises
from a single population in one place.
Conservation
Initiatives:
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WWF supported the barricading of 180 wells
with local partners and the Gujarat Forest Department.
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This initiative led to doubling the
subsidy by the Gujarat government, and many farmers barricaded the wells with
government support.
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To strengthen the efforts of Gir Protected
Area towards managing conflict and poaching, WWF provided need-based support.
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WWF-India conducted a study to assess
habitat change over a period of 20 years.
Conservation
Status:
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IUCN
Status: Endangered
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CITES:
Appendix I
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Wildlife
(Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
Issues
of Asiatic Lions in India:
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Over the years, experts have demanded the
translocation of lions in India as the big cats have been geographically
isolated in Gir.
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A
second home would protect the lion population from extinction in case of an
epidemic, an unexpected decline in prey or natural calamities.
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In September 2018, 27 lions died in Gir
because of canine distemper virus while 37 had to be quarantined.
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According to a 2023 report by the Wildlife
Institute of India, authorities plan to translocate 40 lions to the Barda
Wildlife Sanctuary, around 100 kilometres from the Gir National Park.
●
In
2013, the Supreme Court ordered the translocation of lions from Gir to the Kuno
National Park in Madhya Pradesh.
○
The government, however, released cheetahs
into Kuno in 2022-23 as part of its much-vaunted project to reintroduce the
spotted feline in India.
Geographic
separation is the primary objective of translocation to
establish a second free-ranging population of lions to mitigate conservation
risks.