A total of 363 Asiatic lions died in Gujarat over the past three years, with only seven deaths took place due to train accidents, according to a statement from the Union Government. The information was shared by Kirti Vardhan Singh, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, during the ongoing winter session of Parliament in response to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
The minister highlighted that the Asiatic lion population was estimated to be 674 as per the last assessment conducted in 2020. “As informed by the State Government of Gujarat, 362 lions died during the last three years in Gujarat, out of which seven lions died due to train accidents,” he stated.
To address conservation concerns, the State Government of Gujarat has implemented several management initiatives aimed at safeguarding the Asiatic lion population. These measures include:
- Ensuring an adequate food supply for lions in forested areas.
- Implementing interventions to preserve and improve the natural habitats of the lions.
- Setting up waterholes at strategic locations within forest regions to provide consistent access to water.
- Tracking selected lions to monitor their movements and behavioural patterns.
- Employing trackers to oversee the movements of lions regularly.
- Offering financial compensation to local people for cattle killed by lions.
- Constructing “machans” (elevated platforms) on farmlands to protect crops and livestock.
- Building parapet walls around open wells to prevent accidental falls by lions and other wildlife.
- Conducting awareness and training programmes for farmers to coexist with wildlife safely.
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