Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Established: 1965
Location: 86 km from Keshod, or 60 km from Junagadh. And only one km from Sasan.
History: At the turn of the 19th-20th century, in the Gir forest, there was a disastrous famine when the lion8217;s prey population fell drastically. Lions took to man-eating and consequently their number declined. It is believed that they were on the verge of extinction in 1913, with only 20 lions left. However, the Nawab of Junagarh, under whose domain most of the Gir forest fell, protected them vigorously. Since independence in 1947, the protection has continued and lion hunting has been totally banned since the mid-1950s.
As the Gir National Park was the only home of the Asiatic lion, there was an urgent need to establish their status. Consequently, the first systematic census of large mammals in India was conducted in the Gir in 1950. According to the 1985 census, there were 239 lions in the Gir forest as against 205 in 1979. The grasslands of Gir are highly threatened by theincreasing pressure of human and cattle population. The forest area itself has shrunk by half since the turn of the century and what remains as the Gir Sanctuary is only a core area of 300 sqkm which has been declared as a National Park.
Habitat: Gir has a mixed deciduous type of forest with trees like teak, flame of forest, jamun and a variety of acacia, particularly babul. It also has a hilly tract with many rivers and has on offer of long pleasant drives of quiet beauty for visitors.
Climate: In summer, the temperature reaches as high as 40 degrees centigrade while in winter it can be as low as six degrees centigrade.
Wildlife: The Gir remains the last resort of the Asiatic Lion, which above all, is its unique attraction. The park has large numbers of sambar, neelgai, chital, four-horned antelope, chinkara, wild boar and langur. These comprise the prey population for big cats like lions and leopards. Other carnivores like the wild cat, jackal and hyena can also be seen in theforest. Among the reptiles, the marsh crocodile and python are famous and can be sighted frequently. Bird life is equally rich with birds such as paradise flycatcher, grey drongo, pied woodpecker, Indian roller, fish owl, shaheen falcon, black vulture, painted sandgrouse and prey partridge vying for attention.
Wildlife Sightings: Wildlife viewing is best done by driving around the forest at dawn and dusk when the animals and birds are on the move.The park usually remains closed from June to October and the best time to visit is between December and March.
BNHS arranges a week long camp for school students in this National Park. For more details on the camp, all interested schools can contact the BNHS Education Officers.
