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ASIATIC LION

The Asiatic lion is a majestic Animal but endangered. Only found in the Gir National Park and the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, it is in real sense of the word- the king of the Jungle. At one point the number of the Asiatic Lions in Gir had dropped to just 15. The reason – “Extensive trophy hunting”. Lord Curzon advised the Nawab of Junagadh around the early 1900s to protect the remaining lions. The Nawab followed his advice and the lion was declared a protected animal. But serious efforts to conserve it started much later.
	The Gir forest, was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1969, and after six years was made into a national park. The efforts to save the lion paid off and now the population has increased to 312. The Gir lion on reaching full adulthood measures around 2.75 meters in length. It has a bigger tail tassel and its belly is more prominent. His fur color is lighter brown than the African lion and looks shaggier. Another difference between the two is that while the Gir lion never eats carrion, its African counterpart does.
Though known all over the world for its lions, Gir is one of the few remaining forests comprising different habitats - open scrub country, dry deciduous forest, tropical thorn forest and an evergreen corridor along the river banks. Among the common trees here are the stately teak, laburnum, acacia, tendu, ber, jamun, almosa, bael and twin leaved vikalo

LION RESERVES IN INDIA:

GIR WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

The Gir Wildlife Sanctuary is famous worldwide for its Lions, although they themselves are not aware of it. The Sanctuary also houses numerous humans – cattle herders, also known as the Maldharis. The Panther and the Hyena are the other predators which occupy the jungle.