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Increase in number of Gir Lions
Why is it in News?
- Gujarat witnessed rise of Asiatic lions to 674 in Gir forest- 15th lion census in 2020
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- Grown by 29% since last census in 2015 – 523 lions in 2015
- It is highest rise between two census years
- 674 includes male, female and cubs
- Distribution of lions – expanded from 22000 sq. km in 2015 to 30000 sq. Km in 2020. That is Geographical area increased by 36%
- Strategies –
(1) community participation and habitat management
(2) increase in prey base, human-lion conflict mitigation
(3) use of technology
(4) healthcare including import of vaccines against infection of Canine Distemper Virus (CDV)
- In 2018 – outbreak of CDV and babesiosis – death of 36 lions
- Male-female ratio - 161 males vs 260 females – considered as healthy
- Unlike in previous years, this count was estimated not from a Census, but from a population “observation” exercise called Poonam Avlokan.
- ‘Lion observation’ is an in-house exercise, conducted only by forest staff.
- First Lion Census - by the Nawab of Junagadh in 1936
- Since 1965, the Forest Department has been regularly conducting the Lion Census every five years
- 6th, 8th and 11th Censuses were each delayed by a year, for various reasons.