Survival threats to the Asiatic lion

As little as 200 years ago the Asiatic lion ranged across a territory that spread from south-eastern Europe, across south-western Asia and across northern India. Since then the continual expansion of the human population across the lion’s former range has contributed to their extinction in all but one small region of India - the Gir.

The invention of gunpowder and the advent of ‘sport’ hunting throughout the British Empire decimated the lion population to the point of almost complete annihilation. In comparison with the tiger, the lion makes for easy game as it is openly active in the day and is found in groups whereas the tiger is usually solitary and often hides during the day.

By the middle of this century, with hunting outlawed, the greatest threat to the lion population came from the destruction of it's habitat: Vast tracts of jungle forest were cleared to extract wood for commercial use and to make way for the increasing human population.

Since their creation in the 1960’s and 1970’s the Gir National Park and Lion Sanctuary have successfully contributed towards the stabilisation of the last remaining wild population of Asiatic lions. However, the subspecies is still in great danger of extinction despite these efforts.

The Gir Protected Area (PA) is not without its own problems. The lions have to share their sanctuary with two types of human population: the pastoral Maldharis who graze their livestock within the boundaries of the protected area, and the forest settlement villages, which were present before the area was declared a sanctuary. Between them, these add up to approximately 7500 people and about 14000 cattle.

Until recently, the lions of Gir were noted for their ambivalence towards humans, however since the late 1970’s the number of attacks on people has been increasing. Following a severe drought in 1987-1988 the number of attacks has risen greatly. Not surprisingly, there has been a corresponding increase in the hostility of villagers towards the lions. This has resulted in poisoned bait being laid for lions to kill them.

Whilst the lion population within the Gir PA has increased since its foundation, the PA has not been extended since 1978 and it is highly unlikely that it will ever be enlarged due to human habitation around the periphery. This has given rise to a situation where lions regularly roam outside the PA onto the surrounding agricultural lands. The only prey animals for them to take are livestock. This again increases hostility toward the lions.

Although designated a sanctuary, three major roads cross the Gir PA. There is also a railway line which carries at least six steam trains through the PA each day. Both of these cause disturbance to the lions habitat and also represent a fire risk within the PA. Moreover animals, including lions, have been run over. The three trans-PA highways are currently closed to traffic at night but the GFD is under considerable public and political pressure to reopen them.

Four large permanent temples within the Gir PA attract upwards of 80,000 pilgrims each year. This human influx causes problems ranging from litter dumping to firewood extraction, further diminishing the lion’s habitat.

With the entire wild population of Asiatic lions confined to just one area, that population is highly vulnerable to any kind of biological, climactic or man-made catastrophe. A major disaster within the Gir PA could wipe out the entire subspecies at a stroke. Likewise a disease outbreak could decimate the lion population. Without the possibility of translocation the Gir lion population is at risk.