22nd May 2025 (12 Topics)
Asiatic Lions:
Context
Context: On May 22, 2025, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced a significant rise in the Asiatic lion population in India, which has increased from 674 in 2020 to 891 in 2025. This 32% growth is being hailed as a major milestone in India's wildlife conservation efforts, attributed to the proactive implementation of Project Lion and coordinated conservation strategies led by the Government of India.
Asiatic Lions:
- The Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica), also known as the Persian lion or Indian lion, is a subspecies of lion that is found exclusively in India. Its natural habitat is confined to the Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the state of Gujarat.
- Historically, Asiatic lions were distributed across West Asia and the Middle East. However, due to widespread hunting and habitat destruction, they have become extinct in these regions, making India the last remaining refuge for this species.
Current Population and Distribution:
- According to the 2020 lion census conducted by the Gujarat Forest Department, the population of Asiatic lions stood at 674 individuals, dispersed across an area of approximately 30,000 square kilometres, spanning nine districts and 53 talukas of the Saurashtra region.
- As a result of sustained conservation efforts, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in 2025, downlisted the status of the Asiatic lion from "Endangered" (2008) to "Vulnerable" on its Red List of Threatened Species.
Asiatic Lion vs African Lion: Comparative Features
|
Feature |
Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica) |
African Lion (Panthera leo melanochaita) |
|
Size |
Slightly smaller |
Generally larger |
|
Mane |
Shorter and less developed |
Fuller and denser |
|
Social Behaviour |
Males typically remain with the pride |
Males often leave the pride except for mating or hunting |
|
Habitat |
Dry deciduous forests (India only) |
Savannas, shrublands, deserts |
|
Distribution |
Restricted to Gir, Gujarat |
Widespread across Sub-Saharan Africa |
|
IUCN Status |
Vulnerable |
Vulnerable |
|
CITES Listing |
Appendix I |
Appendix II |
|
Legal Protection in India |
Schedule I, Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 |
Not applicable |
|
Major Threats |
Inbreeding, diseases, habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict |
Hunting, habitat loss, conflict |
Major Conservation areas:Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary:
|
PYQ:Consider the following statements: (2019)
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
|
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