Wounded pride of Gujarat: Defeat in fight to prevent relocation of Asiatic lions

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Wounded pride of Gujarat: Defeat in fight to prevent
relocation of Asiatic lions

Indian Supreme Court rules other populations should be
established in neighbouring states

By Andrew Buncombe
The Independent
Tuesday, April 16, 2013

For generations the authorities in the Indian state of
Gujarat have ferociously guarded their prized Asiatic
lions � a rare and treasured animal that features in the
national emblem.

Having set in process a breeding programme that saw the
lions� population rise from just 50 to more than 400, the
state�s political leaders have repeatedly clashed with
those demanding that some of the animals be relocated to
other parts of India.

But this week, the Supreme Court of India sided with the
experts who said it was better for the future of the
lions if other populations were established. As a result,
some of the animals will be moved to the neighbouring
state of Madhya Pradesh within the next six months.

�We are of the view that the� Asiatic lions should have a
second home to save them from extinction due to
catastrophes like epidemic and large forest fires,� the
court said.

The opposition to moving some of the lions from the Gir
forest to an alternative location was led by Gujarat�s
powerful Chief Minister, Narendra Modi. Four years ago,
Mr Modi had a public clash with the then Environment
Minister, saying that unlike other Indian states where
wildlife such as the tiger was struggling, his state had
managed to protect its large cats. �Lions are the pride
of Gujarat,� he said. The domain of the Asiatic lion �
which is smaller than its African cousin � once reached
from Greece to the north-east of India but it was
repeatedly pushed back by hunting and habitat
destruction. Today, around 60,000 visitors a year visit
the lions in the Gir forest.

A breeding population of the lions will now be
transferred to the Kuno game sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.
According to the Associated Press, state representatives
said a proper environment for the animals had been
created in Kuno. Precisely how many animals are to be
moved is yet to be decided. Environmentalists have
welcomed the move, saying the forest in Gir is getting
crowded and making the animals more vulnerable to
disease. They claim that establishing a new community can
help reduce inbreeding. �This has been going on for 20
years,� said Belinda Wright, of the Wildlife Protection
Society of India. �From a solid conservation point of
view, it�s not a good idea to have an entire population
of a species in one area.�

Sheren Shrestha, of the Wildlife Trust of India, said it
was true that the authorities in Gujarat had done well in
establishing the breeding programme that had been so
successful. �They are saying they have been doing a good
job and that is true but the fact of the matter is that
you need more than one population,� he said.

While on this issue the court ruled in favour of the
state of Madhya Pradesh, which says it has spent large
sums to establish a place for the lions, it rejected a
plan by the Minister of the Environment to proceed with a
plan to reintroduce cheetahs.

At the turn of the 20th century, there may have been as
many as 1,000 Asiatic cheetahs in India, where they were
known as hunting leopards. But the last tiny population
of the sub-species is confined to Iran�s Kavir desert. It
is commonly said that the last three cheetahs in India
were shot dead by the Maharaja of Surguja, the ruler of a
princely state in the east of Madhya Pradesh. Campaigners
behind the plan to introduce cheetahs from Africa, say
that unlike the Indian and African elephants, there is
little difference between the Asiatic and African
cheetahs.

More at:

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/wounded-pride-of-gujarat-defeat-in-fight-to-prevent-relocation-of-asiatic-lions-8575603.html

Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti

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