In August 2020, the Centre launched a lion conservation programme along the lines of Project Tiger. Two months into its operation, the project identified six sites — two in Madhya Pradesh, three in Rajasthan and one in Gujarat — to relocate substantial numbers of Asiatic Lions from their current habitat in Gujarat’s Gir National Park. These protected areas were in addition to Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in MP which was earmarked as an alternative home for the animals in 1995. But the government’s 25-year roadmap for Project Lion makes no mention of relocation. As reported by this paper, the plan to be launched on August 10 only focuses on “assisted natural dispersal” of the animal across Saurashtra and “potentially” to Rajasthan by 2047.
The conservation story has acquired another unscientific twist in the last two weeks. Kuno is making plans to welcome cheetahs from Namibia. The argument of the MP conservation authorities that the introduction of the top predator will improve the park’s health is well taken. But as an analysis by this paper showed, Kuno’s cheetah population will not be viable even in 40 years. Experts believe the Gir lions would have been far more effective in the role assigned to the cheetahs. Conservation authorities need to do some rethinking on big cats.
