Despite the Asiatic lion population rising to ~891 in Gir forest, experts and the Supreme Court have warned that the absence of a second geographically separate habitat leaves the species vulnerable to extinction from epidemics or disasters. This topic is important for aspirants preparing for GS2 Environment and wildlife conservation issues through upsc coaching in Hyderabad.
Asiatic Lions
• Species: The Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) is the only wild lion population outside Africa, found exclusively in Gujarat’s Gir landscape.
• Population: While numbers have risen to about 891 in 2025–26, experts and the Supreme Court warn that concentrating the entire global population in one region makes them highly vulnerable to disease, disasters, and human conflict.
Why Asiatic Lions Live Only in Gir
• Historical Decline: Once spread across West Asia and northern India, excessive hunting during colonial times reduced their numbers to a few dozen, confined to Gir by the early 20th century.
• Ecological Suitability: Gir forest provides dry deciduous habitat, abundant prey (chital, nilgai, wild boar), and water sources.
• Conservation Efforts: Gir was declared a sanctuary in 1965 and later a national park, with focused protection measures that helped the population recover.
• State Resistance to Translocation: Despite Supreme Court’s 2013 directive to move lions to Kuno National Park (Madhya Pradesh), Gujarat resisted relocation, keeping the entire population concentrated in Gir.
Scientific Concerns
• Single Population Risk: Wildlife Institute of India studies since the 1980s highlight dangers of concentrating all lions in one landscape.
• Disease Outbreaks: The 2018 Canine Distemper Virus outbreak killed several lions, showing vulnerability of dense populations with limited genetic diversity.
• Metapopulation Approach: Conservation science recommends distributing species across multiple habitats to reduce extinction risk.
Judicial Mandates
• Supreme Court Judgment, 2013: Directed translocation of lions from Gir (Gujarat) to Kuno National Park (Madhya Pradesh).
• Court stressed that lions are national heritage, not the property of one State, and ecological principles must guide conservation.
Policy and Governance Challenges
• State Resistance: Gujarat opposed relocation, citing conservation success and doubts about habitat suitability elsewhere.
• Prepared Habitat: Villages relocated and habitat restored in Kuno, yet no lions introduced.
• Project Lion, 2020: Proposed expansion of lion habitats, including Barda Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat, but experts argue proximity to Gir does not diversify risk.
• Governance Tension: Wildlife is a shared responsibility under the Constitution, but regional identity and politics hinder national conservation priorities.
CONSERVATION STATUS
- IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.
- Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I species (highest protection).
- CITES: Appendix I.
Population Growth: From a few dozen in the early 20th century to ~891 in 2025, a 32% increase since 2020.
Conclusion
India’s Asiatic lion story shows that true conservation success lies not just in increasing numbers but in ensuring resilience through a second secure habitat.
