Asiatic Lion Information Centre

The Asiatic lion news archive - 2006

Stories relating to the Asiatic lion and updates on the captive breeding programme from 2006.

DATELINE: June 18, 2006
Wildlife experts against relocating lions

EVEN as the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) is all set to take up, among other things, the issue of proposed translocation of Asiatic lions from Gir to Madhya Pradesh at its June 19 meeting in Delhi, the Modi Government as well as wildlife experts from Gujarat have decided to oppose the proposal.

The controversial proposal listed on the agenda for the meeting found its echo at the two-day national seminar on ''Marine biodiversity conservation and community'' which concluded here on Friday. Besides other wildlife experts, who participated in the seminar, the lone NBWL member from Gujarat G A Patel was categorical that ''I'll strongly oppose the proposal at the meeting''.

On the sidelines of the seminar, Patel told The Indian Express, ''Since the State Government is capable of conserving the Gir lions, I'll resist the proposal to translocate some Asiatic lions from Gir to the Kuno-Palpur sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. We have created adequate facilities and suitable habitats for the Big Cats in Gir and surrounding areas''.

Eminent wildlife expert and former PCCF Sanat Chavan also opposed the proposal to be taken up for discussion at the meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying the move had been initiated without taking into confidence the State officials and even local villagers in and around Gir. The idea of translocating Gir lions had been conceived at an international workshop organised in Vadodara way back in 1992, and later a ''second home'' committee was constituted to develop the Kuno-Palpur sanctuary to accommodate lions. But neither anyone from the State had been inducted into the committee nor did the neighbouring State bother to seek the State officers' views on the proposal. ''In this situation, how can we accept this proposal?'', asks Chavan.

He said he opposed the move because the presence of tigers in the Kuno-Palpur sanctuary would trigger frequent clashes between the two carnivores over territories, contending that ''in the wildlife history, it is generally observed that tigers and lions can never co-exist in the same territory''. Besides, the prey-base that includes chital, samber and nilgai being available in Gir for Asiatic lions is not there in the Kuno-Palpur sanctuary. State Additional PCCF (Wildlife) Pradeep Khanna said the Government had never been in favour of translocation of Gir lions and ''We will stick to our earlier stand on this issue''. He said his department would react only after the NBWL decision on the proposal.

The Gir Nature Youth Club has warned that its members will launch an agitation across Saurashtra, if the NBWL approves the proposal. ''We will mobilise nature lovers, environmentalists and local villagers in the region, and our members will not even hesitate to stage a dharna in Delhi, and also resort to self-immolation if the Board okays the proposal'', threatened the club president Amit Jethava.