How Gujarat counted its Asiatic lions: 35,000 square km, 11 districts, 300 people
The estimation, carried out by the Forest Department between May 10 and May 13, recorded a rise in the population of Asiatic Lions by 217.
As per the census, there are 196 males, 330 females, 140 sub-adults, and 225 cubs.
This was the first full-fledged Lion Census conducted by the Gujarat government since 2015, officials said.
During the 15th lion estimation, the total population was 674, comprising 260 females, 161 males, 93 sub-adults, and 137 cubs.
The census covered a 35,000 square km area spread across 11 districts of the Saurashtra region comprising Junagadh, Gir-Somnath, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Morbi, Surendranagar, Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Amreli, Porbandar, and Botad.
The estimation was done using the Direct Beat Verification method that the Forest Department has been following for the past 30 years.
Under the method, the entire area of exercise was divided into regions, zones, and sub-zones with the appointment of regional, zonal, sub-zonal officials, enumerators and assistant enumerators, supervisors, and volunteers.
To maintain transparency in the exercise, members of the national and state wildlife boards, experts from different fields, and experts on lions and their behaviour were invited to join the forest officials.
In all, over 3,000 people were part of the exercise.
In 2020, the actual census exercise was not conducted owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, and hence the forest officials relied on lion sightings on full moon days, which was a regular exercise, and came up with the 15th Lion Census.
According to Gujarat government records, the first lion census was conducted by the Nawab of Junagadh in 1936.
In 1965, the Gir forest was declared a sanctuary, and since then, the Gujarat Forest Department has been regularly conducting lion censuses every five years.
But due to various reasons, the 6th and 8th lion censuses were delayed by a year.
The 11th lion census was due in 2000 but was deferred by a year due to heavy rain that year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
14 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Road at the cost of Rs 53 lakh saves 5 km travel for Pachamalai villagers
TIRUCHY: The Forest Department has finally met a long-pending demand of the residents by completing the roadwork connecting Sholamathi to Ettimadai in the Pachamalai hills, which is crucial for the daily needs of the people in the hills. The road constructed for Rs 53 lakh now significantly reduces the travel distance by about 5km, thereby improving the connectivity to the nearby villages and ensuring faster access to essential services such as healthcare, education, and local markets. Pachamalai Hills, part of the eastern ghats, is located in the Thuraiyur taluk and is home to several tribal hamlets. According to the officials, the project was taken up under the special scheme of Infrastructure Development in Tribal Habitation.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Afternoon train from Pune to Lonavla not possible: Rly min
Pune: Commuters and activists have raised objections to the railway ministry's refusal to start local train services between Pune and Lonavla between noon and 3pm. The issue resurfaced after railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a letter dated Aug 11 to Maval MP Shrirang Barne, stated that it was 'not possible' to operate local trains during this period as the corridor block is reserved for track maintenance. Earlier, the railways operated local trains during the afternoon hours, but discontinued the service after the Covid pandemic. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune | Gold Rates Today in Pune | Silver Rates Today in Pune The demand for afternoon services has been pending for several years, with passengers complaining that they often are forced to wait two to three hours at stations for the next available train. "City buses are not a practical option as they take longer and require multiple changes," said Mayuresh Jhaweri, a regular commuter. He said college students are the worst affected, as they have no convenient transport after classes in the afternoon. Iqbal Mulani of the Railway Prawasi Sangh said Pune division should adopt the practice followed in Mumbai, where maintenance blocks are taken only on weekends. Mulani, along with representatives of several schools, met the divisional railway manager (DRM) last year to press for the demand. "Over 20,000 students travel between Pune and Lonavla by local trains, including nearly 8,000 who commute daily between Lonavla and Talegaon. Most of them finish school after noon and end up waiting for more than two hours at stations to head home," he said. Nikhil Kanchi, former member of the Railway Advisory Committee, said, "A four-line track between Pune and Mumbai is urgently needed. The proposal has been pending with the govt for a long time." Barne said he has been pursuing the matter with the central govt for years, and has written to both former and current railway ministers, but without success. "I will continue to follow up on this issue to ensure that some alternative solution is found," he said. The Maval MP said he wrote another letter to the railway minister on Aug 4, urging the govt to expedite the work of laying two additional railway lines between Pune and Mumbai. "The railway ministry approved two extra tracks for this route in 2017 and even conducted a survey, but the project is yet to begin," he stated in his letter. Ramdas Bhise, senior divisional operations manager (DOM) of railways for Pune, told TOI that at present, they are taking a two-hour-and-forty-five-minute block in the afternoon, and it is essential for track maintenance to ensure passenger safety. "Unlike Mumbai, which has multiple tracks and can carry out maintenance for routes at night, Pune has only two tracks," Bhise said. "Due to the heavy movement of express trains at night, carrying out maintenance during that time would disrupt the entire long-distance train schedule. So, work has to be done during the day," he said, adding that daily maintenance is done at every section and division of the railways, and timing for the same is decided based on the frequency of trains. "Adding more tracks is the only long-term solution to the issue," Bhise added. Another official clarified that while goods trains may sometimes be seen on tracks during the afternoon, they generally operate only up to stations near the maintenance site. "Freight trains do not follow a fixed timetable and can be halted at any station to allow maintenance to continue. Passenger trains, however, cannot be managed in this way," he added. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Ecological Wisdom camp concludes
Kochi: Forest department in collaboration with Coexistence Collective-Kerala and a group of concerned scientific community members and citizens anxious about environmental degradation organised a three-day camp "Whispers and Echoes of the Western Ghats: Awakening Ecological Wisdom" at Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary. It was held to bring together mostly postgraduates, teachers, forest staff and researching students on a common platform. The event concluded with certificate distribution by Advocate Nagaraj Narayan, special govt pleader for forest, Kerala high court, to the participants. The three-day brainstorming sessions, which concluded on Monday, were intended to encourage the student community to open their minds to the various issues facing Kerala. The camp was inaugurated by Indu Vijayan, IFS, CCF, social forestry, central region. Coexistence Collective issued a statement noting that the education system doesn't help connect our lives with the environment or vice versa. "This gap negatively influences decisions when faced with making decisions or when the students become communicators as teachers or lecturers. This platform was intended to help address this gap and help us see the wholeness of the state, of which more than 50% is mountainous and the rest is midlands and coast. Ecological literacy has to go hand-in-hand or a step ahead of development schemes that need to be executed statewide, said the statement. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
