AHMEDABAD: The king of the jungle is scent-marking new territories in what comes as a roar of approval for the state government’s conservation efforts.
With a lioness and her cub sighted in Kutiyana earlier this month, Porbandar becomes the 10th district in Gujarat where Asiatic lions have marked their presence.
Nearly 55 years ago, the state was home to 177 lions, all confined to Junagadh district.Till even around 13 years ago, these apex predators – 411 of them according to the 2010 census – moved around only in only 3 districts.
Today, the state is home to 674 lions as per the last census, and they have their footprint in almost all the districts of Saurashtra, barring Morbi and Devbhumi Dwarka.
With their population growth pegged at 5% annually, the lion kingdom is only set to expand, experts say.
In all, Asiatic lions have covered 10 districts while scouting for potential home ranges. These are: Junagadh, Amreli, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Gir-Somnath, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Botad, Ahmedabad, and Surendranagar.
This scenario was beyond the scope of imagination for conservationists even a couple of decades ago.
“The big cats have been moving along roads and bridges, slicing and dicing their natural habitat and drawing closer to humans like never before. Porbandar is the 10th district to register the presence of lions,” a senior forest offcer said.
In 1968, when the forest department conducted the first census of lions, there were 177, all within the Gir sanctuary. Until the 1990s, they remained within Gir and adjoining areas. In 2013, a sub-adult lion strayed into Kalawad in Jamnagar. Since it was a new territory for the animal, it was rescued and brought back to Gir.
However, in the first week of this month, a radio-collared lioness and a 1-year-old cub were sighted in Porbandar’s Kutiyana for the first time. This lioness had earlier been rescued from Pipavav and released into the wild near Tulsishyam area.
The unofficial 2022 lion count is pegged at 750, though foresters believe the number could be much higher.
With a lioness and her cub sighted in Kutiyana earlier this month, Porbandar becomes the 10th district in Gujarat where Asiatic lions have marked their presence.
Nearly 55 years ago, the state was home to 177 lions, all confined to Junagadh district.Till even around 13 years ago, these apex predators – 411 of them according to the 2010 census – moved around only in only 3 districts.
Today, the state is home to 674 lions as per the last census, and they have their footprint in almost all the districts of Saurashtra, barring Morbi and Devbhumi Dwarka.
With their population growth pegged at 5% annually, the lion kingdom is only set to expand, experts say.
In all, Asiatic lions have covered 10 districts while scouting for potential home ranges. These are: Junagadh, Amreli, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Gir-Somnath, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Botad, Ahmedabad, and Surendranagar.
This scenario was beyond the scope of imagination for conservationists even a couple of decades ago.
“The big cats have been moving along roads and bridges, slicing and dicing their natural habitat and drawing closer to humans like never before. Porbandar is the 10th district to register the presence of lions,” a senior forest offcer said.
In 1968, when the forest department conducted the first census of lions, there were 177, all within the Gir sanctuary. Until the 1990s, they remained within Gir and adjoining areas. In 2013, a sub-adult lion strayed into Kalawad in Jamnagar. Since it was a new territory for the animal, it was rescued and brought back to Gir.
However, in the first week of this month, a radio-collared lioness and a 1-year-old cub were sighted in Porbandar’s Kutiyana for the first time. This lioness had earlier been rescued from Pipavav and released into the wild near Tulsishyam area.
The unofficial 2022 lion count is pegged at 750, though foresters believe the number could be much higher.