In Gujarat, lions are royalty. But what happens when there's no room for the Crown?

Time of India

14-06-2025

First, the good news. India's conservation efforts are working. The population of lions, tigers, leopards — even newly introduced African cheetahs — are on the rise.
The bad news. There is just not enough room for all of them together, and humans. With the country's forest cover clocking in at just 21.7 % of total land, species are crossing paths. Lions are pacing Gujarat's village roads, leopards skirting the edges of urbania across the country, and cheetahs are struggling to adapt in
Kuno
,
Madhya Pradesh
.
That results in a deeper question: Can these apex predators coexist, both with each other and the people living around them?
This conundrum is best exemplified by the issues triggered by India's Asiatic lion population, which, according to data released two weeks ago, surged by a third in just the past five years.
PRIDE OF THE PACK
India's lion population was just 674 in 2020, which, as per the latest
Lion Census
, 2025, is now at 891. That's nearly triple their numbers in 2000. Similar growth has been seen for other cats too.
These are predators, they need their space. Gujarat's lions, once clinging to survival, now face a different kind of risk — running out of room.
'As numbers rise rapidly, conflict with people can spike — especially when older or young males are pushed out. We must invest in conflict mitigation and healthy prey bases so lions and communities can coexist,' says Laura Bertola,
Leo Foundation
, who works towards the protection of lions in Africa and India.
LIONS ON THE MOVE
The growing lion population is already pushing into agricultural fields, plantations and village edges. They are being sighted in areas like Jetpur, Babra-Jasdan and Mityala, which now hosts 32 lions, double from 2020.
'Lions are not restricted to forests,' says conservationist Abi Vanak. 'They are using farmlands, plantations — wherever there is prey and shelter. These lions aren't afraid of humans. They will walk right through towns.'
You'd think that they shouldn't have to care for state borders, yet, lions still remain boxed into Gujarat.
'Lions have steadily expanded across the Saurashtra peninsula, but are not yet close to the neighbouring states. At the current rate of expansion, however, this could only be a matter of time,' says Vanak. The worry now: How long will things stay that way? Gujarat is clearly getting crowded.
THE KUNO CONUNDRUM
Back in 1998, over 1,280 sq km was demarcated as the
Kuno Wildlife Division
, in Madhya Pradesh. The area was cleared of villages, livelihoods uprooted, and was stocked with wild prey — specifically for lions.
In 2018, the Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary (with roughly 350 sq km of area) was upgraded to national park status, with a total area of 748.76 sq km.
The translocation of lions was part of a major conservation initiative with one clear goal: To establish a second, wild population of Asiatic lions outside of Gujarat. Wildlife biologists, along with the
Wildlife Institute of India
, recommended this step to reduce the species' extinction risk — a standard conservation practice to avoid single-population vulnerabilities.
After an extensive site selection process, Kuno emerged as an additional area like Gir, thanks to its large contiguous forest cover, similar habitat and a strong prey base.
But the lions were never moved into Kuno.
The reasons are varied, with political resistance, inter-state dynamics, and bureaucratic delays, all playing a part. Years passed. In 2013, the
Supreme Court
ordered their translocation within six months. Even so, Gujarat, which looks at lions as a symbol of state pride, hasn't translocated them.
It's now 2025, and Kuno still has no lions. 'This is no longer about science. It's about upholding the law. Everything else is just delay and distraction,' says Ravi Chellam, a long-time advocate for lion translocation. Meanwhile in Gujarat, a few lions have moved into Barda Wildlife Sanctuary and both the state and Union governments are claiming that it is the lions' second home. 'Barda is only 100 km from Gir, not far enough to isolate extinction risks. It's a positive step, but not a substitute for Kuno', says Chellam.
'In Gujarat, people are used to living with lions,' counters Vanak. 'If lions move to
Madhya Pradesh or Maharashtra
, the reaction could be very different.' It remains to be seen how many lions Barda can absorb.
JUNGLE POLITICS
The increasing numbers and the need for translocation creates another issue. Even if they are moved, lions entering new landscapes — especially where tigers, leopards, or cheetahs already exist — might bring forth co-existence challenges, at the landscape level.
Instead of lions, Kuno now hosts African cheetahs, introduced to India in 2022. So, can lions even be translocated into Kuno anymore? Each of these big cats have unique habitat needs. Each reacts differently to humans. But all need one thing: Space.
The counter to that is that they can coexist. 'Lions do kill cheetahs,' says YV Jhala, former dean, Wildlife Institute of India. 'But so do leopards and tigers. In fact, leopards are a far more formidable foe to cheetahs. Introducing lions into Kuno may help reduce leopard dominance.'
PROBLEMATIC GENETICS
Another problem lurking is that all Gir lions descend from a small number. 'Genetic diversity underpins adaptability — especially as climate change and new pathogens emerge. Creating satellite populations helps reduce catastrophic risk, but it won't fix inbreeding unless we introduce fresh genetic diversity from elsewhere,' says Bertola. Chellam acknowledges the issue. 'We know the genetic diversity is low. But so far, there's no strong evidence of compromised fertility or cub survival. Still, it's a red flag we must not ignore,' he says.
CO-EXISTENCE OR COLLISION?
Wait and watch is not an option. India's protected parks are divided by highways, farms and cities. In such a fragmented land, natural dispersal is slow and risky.
That means translocation has to be enforced by humans. 'In historical times, lions entered India from Persia and could disperse across the Gangetic plains,
Deccan
and western India without any barriers. Today, this is not possible due to human land uses and barriers. Therefore, in the best interest of the Asiatic lions as a species, human-aided reintroductions based on the principles of
Conservation Biology
should be implemented,' says Jhala.
As apex predators increase, so do human-wildlife conflicts. Conservation Biology reports a 10% rise in villages reporting livestock attacks, and a 15% annual increase in livestock kills.
COEXISTENCE ISN'T IMPOSSIBLE
'Communities that have coexisted with lions adapt better. Others need time, education, and incentives to tolerate large carnivores, reckons Jhala. Eco-tourism, local conservation programmes and cross-state corridors could become critical, and policy has to keep pace with the population. That is the only way to preserve and protect all ways of life, wild and human.