A New Refuge For Persian Lions To Open Soon

Conservationists have accused Gujarat of possessiveness after they appealed with the state to relocate more of its critically endangered lion population.

The success of lion conservation efforts in the Indian state of Gujarat has necessitated the establishment of a new refuge to accommodate the plethora of big cats. With roughly 400 of the endangered species in Gir and another 300 in other areas of the state, the region has been congested with the endangered animals for years. Furthermore, as a result of habitat loss, lions are increasingly venturing into populated areas and along the shore.

To allow the lions in Gir more room to roam, conservationists have been urging the Gujarat government to relocate some of the animals to other regions of India. Moreover, keeping a large number of animals of the same species together increases the risk of illness spreading, so separating the big cats is a must.

But, the state administration has refused to comply, drawing charges of excessive possessiveness and a failure to consider the lions' welfare.

A judgement from the Supreme Court in 2013 ordered the authorities to relocate certain lions to a sanctuary in the neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh, but the authorities refused to comply. The judge ruled that action was required to stave off the spread of a sickness that may kill the animals.

Recently, the state of Gujarat has announced that several lions would be relocated from the Gir Tiger Reserve to the Barda Wildlife Sanctuary. Around 40 lions will soon call this new habitat home, and preparations are underway to welcome them. Local journalists were informed by officials that efforts were being made to expand the herbivore population and that densely wooded regions will be thinned down to make them more lion-friendly.

Anish Andheria, the head of the Wildlife Conservation Trust, believes that Gujarat is using this one more "misleading gimmick" to keep the lions from being shared with other Indian states. He said that several Gir and Gujarat lions have been previously relocated to Barda and criticised the administration for promoting a precedent as a novel solution. He also said that although it was encouraging that India was seeing an increase in its Asiatic lion population, the problem could not be solved without relocating some of the animals to safer, more open locations.

 

source: theguardian.com