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: June21, 2006
Gir lion shifting plan comes back roaring

GANDHINAGAR: A sense of unease prevails in the Gujarat government with the National Board for Wildlife (NBW), chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, taking up on agenda the contentious issue of shifting Asiatic lions from Gir in Gujarat to Kuno-Palpur sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.

The issue was raised on Monday in New Delhi by Union ministry of environment additional director-general (wildlife) RPS Katwal amid protests from two NBW members belonging to Gujarat.

Principal chief conservator of forests ML Sharma told TOI that the Gujarat government was surprised that the NBW took up the matter on agenda without consulting it. "Our position is clear that the lions should not be shifted," he said.

Singh reportedly asked Union environment minister A Raja, soon after the meeting, to take up the matter with Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh chief ministers and "arrive at an amicable solution".

MP is set to implement the Centre-supported Rs 640 crore project to shift several prides of Asiatic lions over the next two decades.

While Gujarat is afraid of losing its exclusivity over being a home to these lions, the state officials plead that Kuno-Palpur is not the ideal habitat for the lion and there could be threats to the beasts even from the local people.

Katwal said in the last one year, 26 Asiatic lions had died. He attributed this to the increasing pressure of lion population in Gir and added that it was important to find a "second home for this apex species."

Among those who supported Katwal was wildlife activist Valmik Thapar, who said he had visited Kuno-Palpur and had found it to be a suitable habitat for the lions.