- The day also aims to promote efforts for the conservation and protection of the Lion, the second-largest Big Cat Species in the World.
- The Lions (Panthera Leo) roamed freely across the jungles of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East some 3 million years ago.
Background:
i.In 2013, Dereck and Beverly Joubert, the co-founders of Big Cat Initiative (BCI) and National Geographic began a partnership to establish World Lion Day.
ii.The first World Lion Day was observed in 2013.
iii.In 2009, the National Geographic Society, in partnership with Dereck and Beverly Joubert, founded the BCI to halt the decline of big cats in the wild.
Types of Lion Species:
There are 2 formally recognised lion subspecies.
- The African lion (Panthera leo leo) is found in Africa, south of the Sahara desert.
- The Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) exists in one small population around Gir Forest National Park in western India.
Significance:
i.As per the ‘Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Lions are categorised as “Vulnerable”.
ii.They are now found only in fragments of sub-Saharan Africa, along with a critically endangered subpopulation in West Africa and a small population of Asiatic lions in India’s Gir National Park, in Gujarat.
- 3 of the 5 largest lion populations can be found in Tanzania.
iii.Lions live in groups called ‘Pride’.
Lion Population:
i.The IUCN estimates that between 23,000 to 39,000 lions remain in the wild. However, the number may be closer to 20,000, as three-quarters of their population is in decline.
ii.Now, the population of lions in the wild is estimated to be around 20,000 individuals in Africa, with a population of around 600 individuals remaining in Asia, all of them in Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat.
iii.The African lion has disappeared from 94% of its historic range and can only be found today in parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
Note: The Barbary Lion, Cape Lion, Eurasian Cave Lion, and American Cave Lion are all extinct lions.
Threats faced by Lions:
- Targeted poaching of lions for body parts
- Habitat loss and fragmentation
- Human-Wildlife Conflict
- Prey Depletion
- Climate Change
- Lack of Legal Protection
Note: As a result, the lion population has declined by approximately 43% over the past two decades.
Lion Population in India:
i.Gujarat state in India is the only place apart from Africa where it is possible to witness lions in their natural habitat.
ii.The Gir Forest National Park in Gujarat is not just a habitat; it’s a sanctuary for the Asiatic lions.
iii.The IUCN categorised Asiatic lions as ‘Endangered’, because of their limited population and constrained habitat.
iv.According to a recent Guardian report, there are now about 400 lions living in the Gir National Park and another 300 in other locations throughout Gujarat, which represents a considerable rise in the population of these threatened species.
Lion Census in India:
i.The first Lion Census was conducted by the Nawab of Junagadh in 1936; since 1965, the Forest Department has been regularly conducting the Lion Census every five years.
ii.The Forest Department of Gujarat announced the population of Asiatic Lions in 2020, and it was 674, which was up from 523 in the 2015 Lion Census.
Project Lion:
i.The Government of Gujarat proposed plans for a second home for Asiatic lions in Barda wildlife sanctuary, Gujarat.
ii.As per the report by Wildlife Institute of India (WII) under the Union Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change, the Government has planned to translocate 40 adult and sub-adult lions to the Barda Wildlife Sanctuary.
