India's Lion population up 27%

Very interesting take on the political situation regarding the Gir Lions. I visited there many years ago and know that there has been talk of relocation going back fifty years or even more, but it never happens. Now I'm beginning to understand why.

Having visited several other wildlife reserves in India I can agree with what you say about the domestic tourism market too. International tourists are an extreme minority, particularly somewhere like the Gir Forest.

 

Thanks Mbwamwitu,

It seems for me a bad reasoning. Tourists come for closeness to their home, vistas, ease of viewing and facilities. It is like thinking that because Tigers are in many reserves, then any Tiger reserve competes for tourist revenue with all other Tiger reserves. Of course, not.

Gir could ask tourists, where they come from and why their come. They could also ask how many would go to an alternative place if Lions were present elsewhere. Probably most tourists to Gir are from inside Gujarat and come anyway because of convenience and general wildlife.

 

Wild population is doing well and also the captive Indian population is doing well :

Gujarat: Over 100 Asiatic lions live in zoo cages in and around Gir areas! | Ahmedabad News - Times of India

 

I never know what to make of newspaper articles in India high on claims, but low on actual science-evidence based data from the field and how these where obtained or the source publications and reports one can read for reference sake. Newspapers like the Guardian and some others do do this.

The number of 674 Asiatic lions itself is a good number, but without data on dispersal, total area of occupancy, high / low population numbers in different areas ... it does not tell us a great deal.

For the captive population: I can vouch that actually the lions in Sakkarbaug Zoo at 85 is an insane number. Only very few individual lions actually contribute to the breeding population. I am not even sure if they look at individual genetics or not. The numbers held in my view are absolutely unsustainable and I am not even talking of animal welfare or husbandry standards. More often than not the Forestry Service (of which the zoos are part and every bloody 4-5 years senior staff get sent off to a field job and another inexperienced gets to be director ...) misuses their zoo facilities to hold surplus confiscated stock or "problem" animals or those which have been persecuted by humans and end up in a zoo.

This issue with overpopulation in one zoo underlines the bigger issue which the State of Gujarat has made into a toxic subject for all India. For conservation and sustainable population development it is important that Asiatic lion are extant in various Indian (former) range states and till date the Gujarat Govt. and State Court have prevented any reintroduction programs elsewhere from going forward. This is all the more deplorable as the habitat available in Gir and surrounding Peninsula is finite and Gujarat is also a very populous state with little room for expansion. This needs to be resolved across individual State borders. The actual Indian Federal Govt. has stepped in, but never been able to force hands as much in India is done top-down, very politicised and down the line staff and people are afraid nor able to take decisions on their own.

Just a short perspective on what is very troubling about wildlife and habitat conservation in India: decisions leave ... decades to go into action mode. This affects Asiatic lions as much as Project Tiger or Project Rhino and many other species of conservation importance besides.

 

With the over population of lions in Indian zoos makes one wonder why London zoo was only sent the one pair instead of the two pairs as expected for the new then Land of the Lions exhibit

 

This question is relevant for almost all recent imports. Often lions imported were older animals unable to reproduce or with prior health issues. I do wonder what kind of vet screening has gone on in Indian zoos prior to export.

I must look at the number of recent exports and how, if any, have actually contributed to the Asiatic lion EEP genetically. I do think the actual data will show that it has been - sadly - extremely limited. I am open to others to prove differently on the basis of the evidence. Rest assured I will look into it myself (when time permits).

 

As far as I am aware only one european zoo in resent times has managed to obtain 4 only Indian lion imports, I am unaware as to what happened after that breeding wise!