save lion

2. QuickFactsaboutAsiaticLion
 There are estimated to be 350-400 lions left
 Oncethe Asiatic Lion roamed widely throughout AsiaMinor,
Arabia, Persiaand India
 Todaythe Gir Forest in Gujarat in NWIndia is their only
remaining home
 TheAsiatic lion is on of seven sub-species of lion
 Theyeat wild pigs, cattle, antelope and deer
 Their averagelifespan in the wild is between 14-15 years
 Anadult weighs between 300-500lbs
 Litter sizesare between 2-4 cubs
 Cub mortality is high with only about 25%surviving beyond
2years.Aggressive males, starvation, predation and
disease are the mainissues
 Poisoned kills, rail and road accidents and falling intowells
kill many adultlions
 TheAsianLion population represents only 1.7%of lions on
earth

3. ~ImportanceofAsiaticLion~
 TheGir Protected
Area, spread over
1412 km2, islocated
in Gujarat (India).
 It is the only place in
the world where the
Asiatic Lion survives.
 It is one of therarest
wild cats in the
world.
It is classified as"Critically Endangered" by World Conservation Union.

4. ~ThreatsToday~
• Asiatic Lion facesmany threats like congestion, roads & religious places
inside the GPA,human pressure, man-animal conflict, genetic limitations
and poaching. Man-made OpenWells surrounding the Gir forest is also
the most severethreat that the lion and other wildanimals face today.

5. ENDANGERED
• Reasons that the cats are able to live outside the forest becauseof the
plentiful livestock and the surprising tolerance ofpeople.
• Thesurrounding farmlands were predominantly growing wheat in the
1960sand 70s,until irrigation made sugarcanecultivation possible in the
1980s.Thesehavenow given way to extensive plantations of mangoes.
• Treecover with minimal human activity provides shelter and plenty of
domestic animals offer sustenance.
• Largecatswithout any forests to call home will settle for much less.So
clearly the challenge to conservation lies here, outside the protectedGir
forests.
• Treecover with minimal human activity provides shelter and plenty of
domestic animals offer sustenance.
• Lionsare luxuriant animals and, aslong asGir is well-protected, they will
alwaysbe found in the surroundinglandscape.

6. ENDANGERED • Thereare more than 9000open-wells in 6km
periphery surrounding the Gir Forest
• Theyare dugby farmers asasource of water for
irrigation and livestock.
• Most of the farmers in Gir are poor with very small
land holding. Hence most of them cannot afford to
barricade their wells.
• Most of these wells are hidden in the surrounding
vegetation and by the time animal realizes it’s
presenceit is too late.
• Theydie due to drowning.
• TheGir ProtectedAreais abig area with poor
internal roads. Thus,it is not always possible to
reachthe incidence spot and successfully rescuethe
animal.
• Rescuedanimalsare seriously injured and
sometimes permanently disabled.Theyare not fit to
be releasedbackinto the wild.

7. ENDANGERED
• Anychangein land use,suchasmining, industrialization, and
crops, or even the weather, maytilt the balance against thecats
• Until very recently it wasbelieved that the lions were free fromthe
threat of poaching. However, the field staff on the frontline have
witnessed an increase in poaching since 2007 and havebeen
unprepared - and ill equipped to - to tackle the emerging problem.

8. ~MeasuresTaken& Govt&NGO’s~
• Wildlife Conservation Trust are the first NGO to sign MoU with the Forest
Department to barricade Open Wells. In association with other NGOsand
Corporates, they havecompleted barricading 781 Wells.
• Currently WCTare working with TATAChemicals Ltd, ‘Lions of GirFoundation
– USA’by UScitizen Mr. SteveMandel and Vanishing HerdsFoundation for
barricading more wells.
• Along similar lines to the SunderbansTiger Project that DSWFsupported
through emergency funding in 2001, DSWFis now providing funds to help
train and equip the forest guards aswell assponsoring research carried out
by the Wildlife Trust of India.
• Recent funding has helped enhance the capacity of the frontline field staff by
training them in wildlife crime prevention techniques to ensure that they are
better prepared to tackle thecrisis.

9. ~MediaCoverage&AppealtoGovt.~
• PM should head lions project: Nathwani
• Group president of RelianceIndustries Ltd and MPParimal Nathwani has
demanded that the LionsProject' should be headed by PrimeMinister
Manmohan Singh.
• Nathwani, president of the VadodaraStockExchangeLimited, hasalso
demanded that the Asiatic lion should be made the national animal,
replacing the tiger.
• ThePlanning Commissionhasgiven an in-principle approval to aproject
for 'Conservation of Asiatic lion in Greater Region' to be implemented by
Government of Gujarat over aperiod of five yearsat acost of Rs262.36
crore, which includes Centre's assistanceof Rs236.63 crore.
• According to estimates, there are around 411Asiatic lions in GirNational
Parkand other areasof Greater Gir asper the last lions census
conducted in April 2010.

10. ~Thoughts~
 Surrounding villagesand
thevillagers should co-
operate & coordinately
work with Forest
department on the
conservationdrive.
 Forestdepartment to be
more focusedand
equipped to tacklethe
crisessuchaspoaching
and rescuing lions from
wells