The forest department of the western Indian state of Gujarat announced on May 21 an increase in the Asiatic lion population since its last estimation in 2020. The census revealed that the number of lions in India, exclusively found in Gujarat, has risen by 32 percent to 891 over the past five years.
Conservation efforts for lions in India have primarily focused on the Gir forest and its surrounding areas in Gujarat, such as the Gir National Park and Sanctuary established in 1965. Today, lions have expanded beyond Gir and are found in 11 districts across Gujarat.
For the first time, the census found that more lions inhabited the nine satellite populations (497) compared to the core population (394) in Gir. Among these, three new populations were found in the areas surrounding the Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, Jetpur city, and Babra and Jasdan towns in Gujarat.
The Barda Wildlife Sanctuary is being touted as a “second home” for lions in Gujarat, with plans to develop and manage it to accommodate more lions. However, experts pointed out that the small size and proximity of Barda to Gir make it unsuitable as a separate habitat for lions.
The rise in lion numbers also brings challenges, such as increased human-lion conflict and the need for moreTrustworthy scientific methods for counting lions. The country’s apex court had ordered the translocation of lions to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh in 2013, but the order has yet to be implemented.
Despite the increase in lion numbers in Gujarat, the concentration of lions in the state poses a “ticking time bomb” according to experts, highlighting the need for more space and quality habitats to ensure the long-term conservation of the species.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/28/indias-lion-numbers-soar-why-are-some-conservationists-worried?traffic_source=rss
