Junagadh News – Amreli is rival as host of lions in Gujarat

Gujarat's Junagadh District seems to getting tough competition from Amreli District, a neighboring district, as a host of the coveted Asiatic lions. As many as 108 lions have been sighted in Amreli which is second only to Junagadh City where 270 have been recorded.

Incidentally, the Gir National Park and Sanctuary is located in Junagadh. While Bhavnagar's grasslands are emerging as a favorite of the king of the jungle, not a single lion has been recorded in Porbandar district.

The latest census has reported the existence of 77 cubs less than one year old, and 75 cubs aged less than three. "40% of the lion population is 'youth', similar to India's human population," Modi quipped as he announced the census results on Sunday.

Sasan Gir Forest National Park - GIS for Asiatic Lions

In a first, the state Sasan Gir Forest Department will be using Geographical Information System (GIS) for census of Asiatic lions in the Gir Forest National Park from April 25 to 30.

Unlike in earlier methods, the department will not be using baits for the census this time.

Nearly 450 beat guards have been identified as enumerators for the upcoming census.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Pradeep Khanna said, “We are opting for GIS mapping to prevent redundancy and bring in more accuracy in counting.”

According to Khanna, in the last census, a total of approximately 360 lions were reported at the Gir sanctuary.

“We will not use baits this year. We have not used the system for two consecutive terms. We have trained our staff to follow simply the sighting system,” he said.

The preliminary survey for probable locations of sighting lions has already begun at the sanctuary.

Forest officials said, “We will also identify lions by their scars, which is a specific method for some animals that are found close to human habitats and those away from the area.”

Khanna said: “The GIS system will help the Forest department to do away with the tabular form of saving the Asiatic lion census data. It will also facilitate the department to bookmark Asiatic lions habitat including changing trends and seasonal patterns.”

According to officials, new methods will be a combination of the earlier ones. “The census will be done in three parts. First, it will be counting, followed by rest for the staff and lastly the collation of sightings,” said forest officers.

Sasan Gir National Park Forest Jungle Asiatic Lions Junagadh News Gujarat India

Gir Asiatic lions at Sasan Gir National Park, Talala Junagadh District to wear a chip under their skin.

The Gujarat government has decided to install microchips under the skin of the lions in the Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, the only abode of the Asiatic lions, to track their movements.

The decision was taken following a series of lion killings, both natural and accidental, an official spokesperson said on Wednesday.

The spokesperson said a control tower would also be set up in the sanctuary with global positioning system. The State has sanctioned Rs.40 crore for the project.