Lions, leopards, and now a ‘groom’ tiger: Inside Gujarat’s plan to become the only home to 4 big cats

Speaking at the event, Modhwadia said, “Gujarat is fortunate to have two of the big cats, the leopard and the lion. The lion is found only here… The third big cat is the tiger.” Modhwadia, in a lighter vein, also urged the Union minister to expedite the process of bringing in a mate for the lone male tiger – for which the state has made requests through the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

Modhwadia said, “As the groom (tiger) is ready, we are waiting for the bride (mate). And we definitely have to bring her here. For that too, we have already prepared her home here…”

The remarks come amid the state government’s ongoing efforts to improve tiger habitats after Gujarat was officially recognised as a “Tiger State” after over three decades of waiting, and the recent declaration announcing the Chhari-Dhand Conservation Reserve, located at the edge of the vast, arid Banni grasslands, as a ‘Ramsar Site’ in January.

In March, while speaking in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly, Modhwadia had announced that work on a “Cheetah Conservation Breeding Center” in Kutch’s Banni grasslands had been accelerated following approval from the Union government, for which Rs 14.70 crore has been allocated so far.

Yadav, who also addressed the gathering in Gir on Thursday, underlined Gujarat’s growing importance in global wildlife conservation, particularly for Asiatic lions, which he described as a “successful conservation model before the world”.

Yadav said, “While on one hand, the number of lions across Africa is declining, on the other hand, the population of Asiatic lions in Gujarat and Gir is continuously increasing,” Yadav said, calling Gujarat “a state providing leadership to the world in lion conservation.”

The Union minister said India’s latest 2025 estimation for the greater Gir landscape had placed the Asiatic lion population at 891, which would mean a rise of around 32 per cent compared to 2020.

Yadav added, “Today, even in the International Union for Conservation of Nature list, the lion has been placed in the ‘vulnerable’ category because of habitat and quality degradation. While the world has witnessed a 30 per cent decline in lion populations globally, only in Gir are we witnessing nearly a 30 per cent increase in their numbers… Their natural dispersal has happened towards Barda… their number has reached 24.”

He said the species also continues to receive the highest level of legal protection under India’s wildlife laws and under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Junagadh centre

The Union minister also confirmed that construction work for a National Research Centre for Wildlife had begun in Junagadh and described it as an ambitious national project that could emerge among the world’s leading wildlife research centres.

Yadav acknowledged the tiger movement into Gujarat outside conventional tiger territories. “Tigers are already moving outside traditional tiger territories… Gujarat has lions, leopards, and now even tigers have arrived here,” he said. The comment comes in the backdrop of the decision to undertake a census to confirm the presence of the tiger in Gujarat by the forest department.

The census to be held in mid-June, forest officials said, will help determine if more tigers have strayed into the Gujarat forest corridor adjoining Madhya Pradesh – especially, Ratanmahal and Shoolpaneshwar, where the department has made active efforts to increase prey base for the big cats.

Yadav also linked Gujarat’s future wildlife ambitions to the Banni grasslands of Kutch, which are being ecologically restored to combat desertification. Referring to India’s ongoing cheetah and Great Indian Bustard (GIB) conservation experiments, Yadav said he believed “the successful groundwork of that experiment will also take shape in the Kutch region of Gujarat.”

The statements were made ahead of the International Big Cats Conference scheduled in Delhi on June 1 under the umbrella of the International Big Cat Alliance, a global conservation initiative launched by India after 50 years of Project Tiger. Yadav said more than 400 global delegates, policymakers, conservation specialists, financial institutions, corporates, and scientists would participate in the summit.

Describing big cats as “silent architects of nature”, Yadav said apex predators were essential to maintaining ecological balance and argued that climate change had intensified because humanity had “lost balance with nature”.

Yadav further stressed that Gir’s success lay not only in species protection but also in community participation. “Today, the lion of Gir is not only Gir’s lion – it is a symbol of pride and emotional attachment for every resident of Saurashtra and Gujarat,” he said.

Speaking virtually at the event, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said, “A rehabilitation centre for Gir lions has also been established. Through such initiatives and the continuous efforts of the forest department, along with the active participation of local communities, the lion population has continued to increase. In 1990, the lion population was 249, whereas today it has increased to 861… The lions of Gir have now expanded beyond the Gir forest region into surrounding areas and several districts as well.”