World Lion Day is observed across the world on August 10 every year. World Lion Day, 2020 is being observed virtually this year due to the pandemic. The main purpose of this day is to raise awareness about lions and educate people about issues concerning their protection and conservation.
Background:
i.In 2013, Dereck and Beverly Joubert, a husband-and-wife team of Big Cat Initiative and National Geographic began an initiative to form World Lion Day.
Lions in India:
Asiatic lion is one of the five big cats found in India. The other four are Royal Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, clouded leopard and snow leopard. The range of Lions in India are now restricted to Gir National Park, Gujarat.
i.The population of Big lions in India has increased substantially from 523 in 2015 to 674 in 2020.
ii.Asiatic Lion is enlisted as an endangered species in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red list.
iii.It is listed in Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, in Appendix I of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora(CITES). Indian is a signee under CITES, which is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals.
The increase in lion population in Gujarat has given rise to new challenges, the lions have started to venture out of protected areas for territory and prey. Several lions die due to electrocution, railway and road accidents and they are also poisoned by locals to ensure the safety of their cattle.
‘Asiatic Lion Conservation Project’
i.It is an initiative launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change(MoEFCC), Government of India in 2017 to provide safeguards to the Asiatic lion.
ii.The Project will strengthen the measures for conservation and recovery of Asiatic Lion with the help of state-of-the-art techniques, regular scientific research studies, disease management, and modern surveillance techniques.
Recent Related News:
i.Wildlife Institute of India (WII), an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate change(MoFCC), is set to conduct the Asiatic Lion Census using 8,000-10, 000 Cameras in May, 2020.
ii.A week long Thirteenth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP13) was held at Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Centre in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India from February 15-22. Theme – “Migratory species connect the planet and together we welcome them home”
About Gir National Park
State – Gujarat
Five protected areas to protect Asiatic Lion – Gir Sanctuary(Gujarat), Gir National Park(Gujarat), Pania Sanctuary(Gujarat), Mitiyala Sanctuary(Gujarat), and Girnar Sanctuary(Gujarat).
