Presentation on Gir Lion project

1. Gir Lion Project:
a rare conservation success story
Call of the Helpless King
Gujarat, India

2. Quick Facts about Asiatic Lion
 There are estimated to be 350-400 lions left
 Once the Asiatic Lion roamed widely throughout Asia Minor,
Arabia, Persia and India
 Today the Gir Forest in Gujarat in NW India is their only
remaining home
 The Asiatic lion is on of seven sub-species of lion
 They eat wild pigs, cattle, antelope and deer
 Their average lifespan in the wild is between 14-15 years
 An adult weighs between 300-500lbs
 Litter sizes are between 2-4 cubs
 Cub mortality is high with only about 25% surviving beyond
2 years. Aggressive males, starvation, predation and
disease are the main issues
 Poisoned kills, rail and road accidents and falling into wells
kill many adult lions
 The Asian Lion population represents only 1.7% of lions on
earth

3. ~ Importance of Gir and Asiatic Lion ~
 The Gir Protected
Area, spread over
1412 km2, is located
in Gujarat (India).
 It is the only place in
the world where the
Asiatic Lion survives.
 It is one of the rarest
wild cats in the
world.
It is classified as "Critically Endangered" by World Conservation Union.

4. Do we want our children to see these
beautiful cats only in a Museum or Zoo?
• In the beginning of 19th century when there were about 20 lions in wild,
efforts of the Nawab (King) of Gir saved it from extinction.
• Today due to conservation efforts of the Gujarat Forest Department and
tolerant local people, the lion population has gone up to 359.

5. ~ Threats Today ~
• Asiatic Lion faces many threats like congestion, roads & religious places
inside the GPA, human pressure, man-animal conflict, genetic limitations
and poaching. Man-made Open Wells surrounding the Gir forest is also
the most severe threat that the lion and other wild animals face today.

6. What can you see in this picture?
Tree
Electric Pole
Electric
Wires
Greenery &
Landscape
Man Made -
UNPROTECTED or
OPEN WELL
Greenery & Landscape… Tree…
But You can also see Electric pole, Man Made open wells….And yes there are
electric wires too….

7. ~ Human Interference ~
• Lions and other wild animals regularly stray outside due to over-crowding
inside the sanctuary and in search of food creating threats for humans and
kill some livestock
• In 1973, the Gir Lion Project relocated almost 600 resident Maldhari
families and their livestock and banished hundreds of thousands of cattle
that seasonally get eaten in Gir.
• Easing the pressure from domestic animals allowed the vegetation to
recover, and as a consequence, wild herbivores bounced back ten-fold.
From living off cattle in the early days of the Project, the felines changed
their diets to spotted deer, sambhar and nilgai. But several Maldhari
families remain and livestock continue to use the forest as grassland.

8. Cats Hunting for Prey
• Reasons that the cats are able to live outside the forest because of the
plentiful livestock and the surprising tolerance of people.
• The surrounding farmlands were predominantly growing wheat in the
1960s and 70s, until irrigation made sugarcane cultivation possible in the
1980s. These have now given way to extensive plantations of mangoes.
• Tree cover with minimal human activity provides shelter and plenty of
domestic animals offer sustenance.
• Large cats without any forests to call home will settle for much less. So
clearly the challenge to conservation lies here, outside the protected Gir
forests.
• Tree cover with minimal human activity provides shelter and plenty of
domestic animals offer sustenance.
• Lions are luxuriant animals and, as long as Gir is well-protected, they will
always be found in the surrounding landscape.

9. Cats get trapped
• There are more than 9000 open-wells in 6km
periphery surrounding the Gir Forest
• They are dug by farmers as a source of water for
irrigation and livestock.
• Most of the farmers in Gir are poor with very small
land holding. Hence most of them cannot afford to
barricade their wells.
• Most of these wells are hidden in the surrounding
vegetation and by the time animal realizes it’s
presence it is too late.
• They die due to drowning.
• The Gir Protected Area is a big area with poor
internal roads. Thus, it is not always possible to
reach the incidence spot and successfully rescue the
animal.
• Rescued animals are seriously injured and
sometimes permanently disabled. They are not fit to
be released back into the wild.

10. Cats get trapped
• Any change in land use, such as mining, industrialization, and
crops, or even the weather, may tilt the balance against the cats
• Until very recently it was believed that the lions were free from the
threat of poaching. However, the field staff on the frontline have
witnessed an increase in poaching since 2007 and have been
unprepared - and ill equipped to - to tackle the emerging problem.

11. ~ Measures Taken & Govt & NGO’s ~
• Wildlife Conservation Trust are the first NGO to sign MoU with the Forest
Department to barricade Open Wells. In association with other NGOs and
Corporates, they have completed barricading 781 Wells.
• Currently WCT are working with TATA Chemicals Ltd, ‘Lions of Gir Foundation
– USA’ by US citizen Mr. Steve Mandel and Vanishing Herds Foundation for
barricading more wells.
• Along similar lines to the Sunderbans Tiger Project that DSWF supported
through emergency funding in 2001, DSWF is now providing funds to help
train and equip the forest guards as well as sponsoring research carried out
by the Wildlife Trust of India.
• Recent funding has helped enhance the capacity of the frontline field staff by
training them in wildlife crime prevention techniques to ensure that they are
better prepared to tackle the crisis.

12. ~ Media Coverage & Appeal to Govt. ~
• PM should head Gir lions project: Nathwani
• Group president of Reliance Industries Ltd and MP Parimal Nathwani has
demanded that the 'Gir Lions Project' should be headed by Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh.
• Nathwani, president of the Vadodara Stock Exchange Limited, has also
demanded that the Asiatic lion should be made the national animal,
replacing the tiger.
• The Planning Commission has given an in-principle approval to a project
for 'Conservation of Asiatic lion in Greater Gir Region' to be implemented
by Government of Gujarat over a period of five years at a cost of Rs 262.36
crore, which includes Centre's assistance of Rs 236.63 crore.
• According to estimates, there are around 411 Asiatic lions in Gir National
Park and other areas of Greater Gir as per the last Gir lions census
conducted in April 2010.

13. ~ Thoughts ~
• Surrounding villages and the villagers
should co-operate & coordinately
work with Forest department on the
conservation drive.
• Forest department to be more
focused and equipped to tackle the
crises such as poaching and rescuing
lions from wells
• Appeal to nation for their help in
monitory terms for the conservation
project along with the help in kind
for the villagers
• Appeal to corporate firms to make
there contribution to the cause.

14. T h a n k Y o u!