Ahmedabad, Aug 10 (IANS) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav led the state-level ‘World Lion Day’ celebrations at Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, marking the Asiatic lion’s return to the region after 143 years. Addressing the gathering, CM Patel called the Asiatic lion “a global symbol of India’s identity” and announced the e-launch and foundation stone-laying of various forest department projects worth Rs 180 crore.

This includes a Rs 75-crore safari park and enhanced tourist facilities in Barda, alongside new vehicles, rescue infrastructure, and community development works. Highlighting conservation success, Patel noted that lion habitats have expanded from 3 to 11 districts in the past 25 years, with the population rising from 674 in 2020 to 891 in 2025.

He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Project Lion” for addressing habitat management, wildlife health, human-wildlife conflict, tourism, and biodiversity protection. Union Minister Yadav praised the state’s conservation efforts, calling the lion’s natural return to Barda a “boost to biodiversity and eco-tourism.” He underscored India’s broader wildlife protection initiatives, including Project Tiger, Project Dolphin, and the newly launched International Big Cat Alliance.

State Forest Minister Mulu Bera described Barda as the Asiatic lion’s “second home” and detailed new projects, from breeding centres to eco-tourism portals for booking visits to 24 sites across Gujarat. Officials, lawmakers, and hundreds of local residents attended the event, celebrating not only the lions’ comeback but also a fresh chapter in Gujarat’s wildlife tourism and conservation.

The Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica), once widespread across Asia, now survives only in Gujarat, making the state its sole natural habitat. Historically confined to the Gir Forest and its surrounding areas, the species has seen a remarkable revival over the past few decades due to sustained conservation measures under the Gujarat Forest Department and national initiatives like Project Lion. In 2020, the official census recorded 674 lions; by 2025, this number rose to 891, reflecting a growth of about 32 per cent in five years.

Their range has expanded significantly — from just 3 districts in the 1990s to 11 districts today, including Gir Somnath, Junagadh, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Porbandar, and Devbhumi Dwarka. The lions have even naturally recolonised areas like the Barda Wildlife Sanctuary after a gap of 143 years, boosting local biodiversity and eco-tourism.

Conservation strategies have focused on habitat management, wildlife health monitoring, conflict mitigation between lions and local communities, and the creation of wildlife corridors. Culturally, the lion holds symbolic value in Gujarat, with local Maldhari pastoral communities coexisting alongside the big cats, demonstrating a rare model of human-wildlife harmony.

–IANS

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