Sighting of mesmerizing Asiatic lions in Gir

For attending the seventh meeting of the National Board of Wildlife, I reached Sasan Gir from Rajkot Airport of Gujarat. After attending the NBWL's meeting addressed by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, the next day, on March 4, I got up early in the morning for my first Wildlife Safari, that was organized by Gujarat Forest 's Assistant Conservator of Forests, Ajaysingh Rathod. Though for the last two days, I was experiencing heat, on that day, however, the climate was cold and pleasing.

In his speech, the Prime Minister highlighted how his efforts as then Chief Minister of Gujarat, helped in the revival of the Asiatic Lion population, which was on the way to extinction. Persistent and dedicated efforts of Gujarat Forest, has been instrumental in showcasing the remarkable story of resilience and recovery of the majestic wild animal that in 1900, reached to two digits, on account of excessive hunting and habitat loss.

Eye opening and harsh reality about dwindling population of the Asiatic Lion, made the Nawab of Junagarh to declare the area as the Protected Forest. On September 18,1965, the state Government declared Gir as a Wildlife Sanctuary. Word Gir represents rugged hilly terrain. Gir comprises a mix of deciduous forests, drained by numerous small rivers and streams, that play a crucial role in supporting the diverse assemblage of wildlife.Richness of grasslands has been thriving with an excellent population of the herbivores, on which the Asiatic Lion preys.

Travelling in a four wheel drive Bolero, through rugged terrain in the early morning when the jungle was still under darkness, was indeed an exciting experience. Varied species of birds, flying swiftly through the canopy of trees. As soon as I heard calls of Gray langur, I learnt, we would certainly spot the big cats in nearby vicinity and after travelling for about half-hour, the guide instructed the driver about the presence of a lioness with a cub. He immediately stopped the jeep, however, for a short while, I couldn't see anything. The guide, pointing in the left direction, told me to look at the ground. As there was meager sunlight and as colours of lioness and cub were camouflaged with that of soil, I could not spot them. But when I tried to click their pictures on a mobile camera, I spotted lioness feeding cub leisurely. As we were watching them eagerly, two more jeeps also stopped, however, both of them didn't take any note of us. Waiting there for 20 minutes, we then proceeded further in the jungle, where we could spot more than 15 spotted deers grazing in the grasslands. Revival of grasslands, availability of good amounts of green fodder, seasonal fruits, creation of check dams and water holes, flowing streams and rivulets has been helping wild ungulates to thrive well inside the Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary. Besides, Anogeissus latifolia, Tectona grandis, Gir forest consists of Kumbha, Khair, Tendu, Ber, Bael, Palas, Vad along with numerous species of shrubs, orchids displaying richness of diversity.

Gir forest has acclaimed name and fame, as the only landscape in Gujarat,where beside Asiatic Lion maximum number of Carnivores like Leopard, Striped Hyena, Jungle Cat, Jackal are found. Being designated as an Important Bird Area, it displays a bewildering avi faunal diversity. Seven rivers that act as lifelines for the biodiversity and native communities, rises from the Gir forest. Providing drinking and irrigation water to the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, these protected forests support life and livelihoods of innumerable.

We also got an opportunity to see the male lion basking in the sunlight. The Asiatic Lion, today turned into a symbol of pride of Gujarat, was once widely distributed in Asia, encompassing Mesopotamia, Arabia, Persia and the Indian subcontinent, now confined only to Gir.

In 1879, then princely state of Junagarh initiated the first Important step for conservation of the Asiatic Lion, by prohibiting all forms of hunting and trapping of the lions without specific permission from the state. Nawab Muhammad Rasul Khanji had done pioneering work in providing shelter to this big cat. This marked the turning point in the protection and conservation of Asiatic Lion, and hence today after Indian independence efforts helped in reaching the population of the Asiatic Lion above 600.

As I was born and brought up in Goa, I saw the captive lion in the circus and then on the entrances of the old Goan houses in the form of artifacts. The First Chief of Goa, Daman and Diu union territories, Bhausaheb Bandodkar represented Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party on the symbol of lion. As the mount of goddess Durga, on some stone sculptures, one can see the lion in Goa. The idol of goddess meant for the festive occasions, too is seated on the decorated mount of lion during the Ashwin Navratri celebration, has commanded immense respect and gratitude to the lion from my days of childhood. Visiting Gir forest and understanding the role of ecology and environment in shaping the present and future of the Asiatic Lion, made me proud of this majestic wild animal. We should not forget the unique and diverse ecosystem of Gir with 258.71 sq.km National Park and 1,151.59 sq.km Wildlife Sanctuary, is the only home for the Asiatic Lion, and hence, announcement of the Project Lion in 2020, should be implemented in the holistic manner, through the fabric of coexistence.