In Gujarat, the roar of lions is resonating more in the forests of Gir. This has been revealed by the latest reports. According to this, the population of Asiatic lions in the Gir forest area of Gujarat has increased by 29 percent. As of now, the number of Asiatic lions in Gir and its surrounding areas has been stated to be 674, while in 2015 census it was 523. The Asiatic lions in the world, there has been an increase of 151 in the lions' clan. Its area has also increased to 30 thousand sq km as against 22 thousand sq km in 2015. This good news is going to give relief to the wildlife lovers because the Asian lions are the pride of India.
This increase in the number of Asiatic lions has occurred when the untimely death of more than two dozen lions due to the dangerous infection Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) spread in the forests of Gir and its surrounding areas in 2018. 300 vaccines were brought from America to save them from this infection. Due to these efforts, CDV infection was controlled in time. Whereas in 1994, 30 percent of the total population of lions in the Serengeti forests of East Africa was wiped out due to this infection.
The Nawab of Junagadh made the lions count for the first time in 1936. After that, their census work has been done every five years with a little delay since 1965. In the 1990 census, his family was left only till 284, but after the efforts made at the government and community level, positive results started coming. In the three calculations done until 2005, their number kept increasing from just 20 to 30. Then there was a jump of 52 in the 2010 count and 117 in the previous count in 2015. There has been an increase of 151 counts of lions this time, which is the highest so far.
