Asiatic lions population rising, new sanctuary proposed in Saurashtra

“The member told the meeting that the Shetrunji riverine patch has emerged as an important area for lions to settle down as the big cats disperse naturally from Gir Forest due to an increase in their population.
The member suggested the area should be studied and possibilities be explored of creating a wildlife sanctuary so that lions get better protection and support long-term conservation of the endangered species of big cats,” a source privy to the discussions at the GSWBL meeting told The Indian Express.

Thanks to the conservation efforts of the Gujarat Forest Department and local people living in and around Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary (GNPWLS), the population of Asiatic lions has been on the rise for the past three decades.

However, being territorial animals, as their population increases, lions have started dispersing out of the Gir Forest.
The big cats have been settling in other protected areas as well as in revenue areas of districts like Amreli, Bhavnagar, Gir Somnath, Porbandar, and Rajkot among others. Around half of the 674 lions counted in 2020 were recorded outside the protected areas (PAs). Most of the lions counted outside PAs were sighted in Amreli and Bhavnagar districts.

“The fact is that sanctuaries were declared in the 1970s when the population of large carnivores like lions and leopards was not as much in comparison to the present. Thanks to conservation measures of the Gujarat Forest Department and the enthusiastic support of local communities, the population of lions and leopards has increased.

The expanse of sanctuaries notified in the 1970s is not sufficient for this increased population and something needs to be done about this. One way to do it is to notify areas, ideally contiguous to the existing sanctuaries, as new sanctuaries.

The second option is to declare an area away from the existing sanctuaries if infrastructure like roads and railways has been constructed around the existing sanctuary. But while choosing the second option, it has to be ensured that some type of corridor allowing movement of wild animals between the new PA and the existing sanctuaries is there,” the source quoted the member as having opined.

Another board member suggested that the limits of the Purna Wildlife Sanctuary in the Dangs district should be extended. “There is a wooded area which looks like a forest and which is presently classified as a reserved forest. This area is near Purna Wildlife Sanctuary near Vyara in Tapi district. The Board member, who has worked in that area, suggested that that the reserved forest be also made a sanctuary by expanding the Purna Wildlife Sanctuary,” another source in the know told The Indian Express.

Sources said that the Chief Minister directed officers to conduct studies in these areas and explore possibilities of notifying them as sanctuaries. “The Chairman told officers to study the areas mentioned by the Board members and prepare reports for taking appropriate decisions on the suggestions,” the source further added. After Africa, the lions in Saurashtra form the second largest population of wild lions anywhere in the world. The only population of Asiatic lions in the world thrives in Junagadh, Amreli, Gir Somnath, Bhavnagar, Porbandar, and Rajkot districts.

A senior forest officer said that a process has already been initiated to declare some stretch along the Shetrunji River a sanctuary. “For declaring any area a sanctuary, the forest depart is obliged to secure the consent of village panchayats which are likely to be affected. The process of calling special meetings of village panchayats and adopting resolutions supporting the creation of a wildlife sanctuary near their areas has already been initiated. But this is going to be a long-drawn process as village residents have to be explained that having a sanctuary with lions residing in them is an advantage for people of the area,” said the senior officer, anonymity.

The Purna Wildlife Sanctuary forms the northern and eastern limits of the Western Ghats. The sanctuary, which was notified in 1990, is the habitat of leopards, barking deer, and four-horned antelopes among other animals.