E-Paper
Lion population grows at Gir sanctuary
That was some good news from the wildlife front, which has been dogged by the tiger controversy.
There was good news about the endangered Asiatic lions living in Gujarat's Gir forests, with the latest census showing there are 359 of the big cats at the sanctuary there.
Announcing the findings of the census, Chief Minister Narendra Modi said that latest figures marked an increase of 32 lions since the last official census in 2001.
The census report came close on the heels of reports of a marked decline in the number of tigers in parks across the country.
Gir is the only place in the world where Asiatic lions can be found in their natural habitat.
This is the highest figure recorded in the history of official censuses at Saurashtra region's Gir forests, more than 350 km from here.
The latest round of the five-yearly census was undertaken from April 21.
"According to the official census that concluded today (Thursday), there are 359 lions in the Gir sanctuary," Modi told reporters.
"Wildlife diversity is important for human welfare. When exploitation in the name of development has led to extinction of many species, Gujarat has not only protected its lions but helped in adding to their numbers," Modi claimed.
Talking about methods used for the census, Modi said the forest department divided the sanctuary and its adjoining areas into 286 beats with 90 sub-divisions.
The region under the census, covering 657 villages, ranged from Gir and Mount Girnar to Amreli, Bhavnagar, Mahuva, Junagadh and Porbandar in the coastal belt abutting the Arabian Sea.
The census area was enlarged this year as the lions had dispersed over regions neighbouring Gir in recent years.
The first official census of Gir lions after India's independence in 1947 was undertaken in 1950. Employing the footprint method, 217-227 lions were counted in the 1950 census, Modi said.
After the creation the Gujarat state, the forest department carried out a census in 1963 based on footprints and colour-marking methods. Live baits were used in the rounds of the census, but the practice was given up in 2001.
The last census also introduced the new method of counting based on "the total count of lions by sighting at block system", which was continued for the 2005 count, Modi said.
More than 600 people participated in the exercise, including forest officials, forest staff members and non-official experts in counting wild animals and volunteers.
The census was held exclusively for lions, while a count of other species in the Gir forests would be taken up soon.
Other species found in the region include the leopard, wolf, spotted dear, blue bull and antelope.
Meanwhile, the Gir sanctuary was re-opened to the public after a brief closure during the census.
