Context: As per the latest government data, 669 Asiatic lions have died in the last five years (2020-2024). The Gir forest in Gujarat is the only remaining natural habitat of Asiatic lions.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Asiatic lions; Project Lion; Big Cat Alliance; CDV.
Key Data on Asiatic Lions
- The maximum deaths of Asiatic lions occurred in the year 2024. Reasons for death include: Old age, illness, injuries from fights, cub mortality, falling into open wells, electrocution, accidents etc. No incidents of poaching led to lion deaths during these years.
- Latest Estimate (2020): Asiatic lion population in Gujarat is 674 in 2020, up from 523 in 2015. A fresh population estimation will be conducted in May 2025.
Concerns:
- Geographical isolation: Experts have called for the translocation of lions in India, as the big cats remain geographically isolated in Gir. A second habitat would help protect them from extinction in case of an epidemic, a sharp decline in prey or natural disasters.
- Increased deaths due to disease outbreak: E.g., In 2018, 27 lions in Gir died due to canine distemper virus (CDV).
- Possibility of man-wildlife conflict: As per a 2022 report, 48% of the then lion population of 674 had moved outside protected areas, covering nine districts and 13 forest administrative divisions.
Canine Distemper Virus:
- CDV is a highly contagious viral disease that affects a wide range of carnivores. It is caused by a single-stranded RNA virus.
- Impacts: Several body systems, including the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts, the spinal cord, and the brain.
- Symptoms: Dullness, lacrimation, cough, diarrhea, and seizures; 2 of the 87 captive lions showed lacrimation and respiratory distress. It has a high mortality rate.
Asiatic Lions
- The Asiatic lion is a big cat of the subspecies Panthera leo.
- Range: Gir forest, a dry deciduous forest ecosystem in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, is the abode of the last surviving population.
- The total distribution range of lions in this region is estimated to be around 9000 sq. km. majorly of which GIR National Park, GIR Wildlife Sanctuary, Paniya Wildlife Sanctuary and Mitiyal Wildlife Sanctuary account.
- Conservation Status:
- IUCN Status: Endangered
- CITES: Appendix I
- Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule I
- Conservation Initiatives:
- Project Lion (2020): Infrastructure development for protection and security of Indian lions, especially health infrastructure. Focus on conflict mitigation, habitat improvement, radio-collar monitoring, and camera traps, and addressing human-wildlife conflict.
- International Big Cats Alliance (2023): Foster international cooperation among 97 range countries for conservation of big cats.
Wildlife Institute of India has identified the Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, about 100 km from the Gir National Park, as a potential site where a population of 40 adult and sub-adult lions could be accommodated within the larger landscape of Barda-Alech hills and coastal forests through natural dispersal.