Pal Pariawala & Ashwanth Vidhya, Mumbai Uncensored, 2nd July 2021:
A population observation exercise during the full moon called ‘Poonam Avlokan’ recorded an increase in the number of lions. According to this, the Lion Census 2020 which happened in June, recorded 674 lions with a 28.9% improvement as compared to the 2019 count. Although the 2021 data is still being analyzed, a senior forest department officer of Gandhinagar said the initial research suggests that the 700 mark has definitely been crossed, which means a 6-8% rise.
The number of lions could be anywhere between 710-730. The adult male to female ratio of 2020 was 1:1.61 and the cub to adult female ratio was 1:0.53. These proportions have changed little in a year. The population remains unaffected in sanctuaries like Gir, Pania, Mitiyala and Girnar. But regions like Bhavnagar Coast and Mainland, Pania Sanctuary and South Western Coast recorded a decrease in the lion population. The increase was prominent in areas outside the sanctuaries, added the officials in Gandhinagar. This also gives credibility to reports that stated Lions preferred the open forests.
Earlier this year, the Gujarat Government had informed the assembly of the death of over 300 lions in the past year. Criticism was also mounted on the government by experts for using century old techniques for surveying lions that lead to either under or over count of the population and for not giving an accurate number of deaths of lions due to Canine Distemper Virus (CDV).
The news of the overall increase in Lion population brings a ray of hope after the infamous reveal and at a time when India is facing huge environmental challenges like deforestation, endangerment of wildlife and a significant rise in forest fires.
