Sasan Gir Wildlife Sanctuary Junagadh District News Gujarat India

The Gujarat State Forest department plans to prepone the census of Asiatic lions as 450 beat guards and foresters to be involved in the activity will be given the additional work during the Gujarat Day celebrations on May 1.

The census work, which was scheduled to start on April 25, is likely to begin now on April 23, said Forest Department officials.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Pradeep Khanna said that the matter is still being discussed and the official announcement about the beginning of the census work will come soon.

The In-charge Conservator of Forest, Mayank Sharma, said, “Gujarat’s pride is in the hands of people of the state. In fact, the state has succeeded in conserving Asiatic lions on its landscape because of people’s involvement. It is through the support of the people in Gujarat that the lions are still there in the three districts of Bhavnagar, Junagadh and Amreli.” Sharma added:

“The lion census is likely to be brought forward by only two days. This will be done as 450 beat guards and foresters will be designated some work for the Gujarat Day celebrations.”