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The Asiatic lion news archive - 2006
DATELINE: January 18, 2006
Gir lions on the verge of extinction
Bahar Dutt
CNN-IBN
Outside Africa, India is the only place where lions exist today. Its wild cousin, the tiger, on the other hand is found almost throughout the country, numbering around 3000-5000.
In contrast there are only 300 lions left in the wild in India, all in one forest - Gir. The big cat is on the verge of extinction and is crying out for attention. CNN-IBN traveled to the last bastion of the Indian lion to find out why.
Gujarat: The country is obsessed about the survival of the Tiger, but India's other big cat – the Asiatic Lion – is in far more serious trouble.
Found only in Gujarat, the Asiatic Lion, may soon beat the tiger to extinction.
Documents in CNN-IBN's possession show that the lions of Gir are being poached for their claws.
In August 2005, two lions were killed near Patla Village, Gujarat. 15 claws were missing from their dead bodies.
In September, five claws were missing from yet another lion carcass.
Between August and December 2005, 12 Lions have died at Gir, five of them killed by poachers and each time for their claws.
| Poaching Deaths in Gir | |
| Aug 2005 | 2 Lions killed near Patla Village. 15 Claws missing. |
| Sep 2005 | 5 claws missing from a Lion Carcass. |
| Aug - Dec 2005 | 12 Lions Dead. 5 killed by Poachers. |
Each claw is worth Rs 10,000. Add to this the fact that the number of lions in Gir is just 300 and that Gir is the only place in India where the Asiatic lion is found.
If anything does go wrong here, India's tiny lion population will vanish forever.
Documents found during our Special Investigation identify several factors that put the lion at great risk in Gir.
Here is CNN-IBN's 'post-mortem' report.
Uncovered wells are death traps for the lion. Documents are littered with reports of lions claimed by these wells.
The Kankaiya temple in the Gir reserve is visited by 2,00,000 pilgrims every year. They arrive in over 20,000 vehicles, which can be potentially disastrous for the lion's fragile habitat.
A railway line and five state highways crisscross the Gir Forest Reserve. In the last decade 12 lions have been run over by speeding trains and vehicles.
The railway line that passes through nearly 14 kilometers of the Gir National Park has proved to be a death sentence for many wild inhabitants of the sanctuary.
In fact at many blind curves, there have been instances when lions have been crushed by speeding trains.
Conservationists are concerned about the fact that Gir lions are confined to such a small space.
According to wildlife scientists, the lion to avoid being wiped out must have a minimum viable population of at least 500. This would avoid inbreeding and reduce the risk of disease.
The lions of Gir are already at a dangerously low 300 mark, well below a viable population.
Ravi Chellam, wildlife scientist and the first person to suggest that Gir lions be translocated to Madhya Pradesh says, "All Asiatic lions are in cramped into one place and if something happens here they could be in serious trouble."
The Government must act soon or else the epitaph of the lion may well read, Here lies the King of the Jungle; he beat the Tiger in the race to extinction.
Source: IBNLive
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/gir-lions-on-the-verge-of-extinction/3872-3-0.html
Watch the video here...
http://www.ibnlive.com/videos/3872/gir-lions-on-the-verge-of-extinction.html
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