Asiatic lions relocation plan from Gujarat to Madhya Pradesh sanctuary gets fillip

The Gujarat government’s wildlife department has conveyed that “if all the guidelines of IUCN (International Union For Conservation of Nature) are followed, Gujarat does not have any issue in translocation ...”

Updated on: Mar 1, 2017, 24:56:01 IST

By Neeraj Santoshi

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There are some positive signs in the much delayed reintroduction of Asiatic Lion in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno-Palpur wildlife sanctuary from Gujarat.

There are plans to reintroduce Asiatic lions in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno-Palpur wildlife sanctuary from Gujarat. (AP File Photo)

Besides an expert committee on translocation of lions to MP recommending it as an ideally suited for second home for lions, the Gujarat government’s wildlife department has conveyed that “if all the guidelines of IUCN (International Union For Conservation of Nature) are followed, Gujarat does not have any issue in translocation ...”

The development came to light on Tuesday in the MP state legislative assembly where the minutes of a recent meeting of the committee were submitted.

The committee constituted by the Supreme Court in 2013 visited Palpur-Kuno Sanctuary and held its sixth meeting there stating that Kuno was ideally suited as a second home.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More