Asiatic Lion Information Centre

The Asiatic lion news archive - 2007

Stories relating to the Asiatic lion and updates on the captive breeding programme from 2007.

DATELINE: October 31 2007
Squads to identify electrified Gir fences

Even as the Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Gujarat Government on a petition seeking steps taken in Gir forest to check largescale poaching and to fence open wells to save Asiatic lions, the state Forest department and Paschim Gujarat Vij Company have launched a joint operation to identify electrified fences being erected by farmers in this region.

With the financial support of some prominent corporate houses, the Forest department and other agencies have also intensified the work on constructing parapets around farm wells located in areas outside the Gir sanctuary to prevent the recurring incidents of Asiatic lions falling in open wells.

“The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the government, but we are yet to receive it. We have already asked our government lawyer Hemantika Vahi in Delhi to send a copy of the notice. As soon as the government obtains a copy of the notice, we will file our response to it,” said Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) Pradeep Khanna.

Responding to a petition filed in the SC following a recent incident in which three lions and two cubs were electrocuted in the Gir Sanctuary (East) division, the apex court has sought responses from the Centre as well as the Gujarat Government on what measures they were taking to save Asiatic lions from extinction.