Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Concern over rise in lion numbers

HYDERABAD: The growing lion population in the Gir sanctuary in Gujarat is a matter of concern as there is an increasing possibility of them venturing into human spaces, said Ravi Chellam, Director of Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment. Owing to the limited park area and the fact that lions can travel up to 30 kilometres overnight, the risk of human-lion encounters is greater, he explained.

In an effort to solve the problem, Dr. Chellam identified Kuno forest in north Madhya Pradesh to transfer some of the Gir lions in a report prepared for the Wildlife Institute of India. Unfortunately, the Gujarat government has been refusing to part with the Gir lions, he said.

Of course, it is the Gujarat government’s conservation efforts which helped the lion population increase from less than 12 in 1880 to 370 in the Gir forests as per the latest government data, Dr. Chellam said.

A renowned expert on Asiatic lions, he was addressing a gathering of children and adults who were treated to an enlightening presentation on Asiatic lions at a session organised by NatureQuest at Vidyaranya High School on Saturday.

Concentration of a species in one location also poses another danger, Dr. Chellam pointed out. The risk of an endangered species becoming extinct due to diseases, epidemics or even political decisions is greater when they are concentrated in a single area, he said.

To elaborate on his point, he quoted an example of how 30 per cent of the lion population perished in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, because of an outbreak of canine distemper epidemic. The same epidemic had also affected 75 per cent of the lion population.

Dr. Chellam also felt the need for educating people on animal terminology and improper word usage like ‘straying’, ‘rescue’, ‘rehabilitation’ and ‘problem animal’. There is a need to differentiate between animal welfare and conservation, he added.

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