Five-yearly census of endangered Asiatic lions concludes, results on May 10

07-05-2015

Five-yearly census of endangered Asiatic lions concludes, results on May 10
Zee News
http://zeenews.india.com/news/eco-news/five-yearly-census-of-endangered-asiatic-lions-concludes-results-on-may-10_1590582.html

Zee Media Bureau

Ahmedabad: The four-day census of Asiatic lions in the Gir sanctuary finally got over Tuesday afternoon with more than 2,200 forest staffers, officers and volunteers completing field trips in an area spread over 22,000 square kilometres .

After the final compilation of the data collected, Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel will declare results of the census on May 10.

Asiatic lions, who are found only in Gir, fall in the "endangered" category of wild animals.

The last census in 2010 revealed 411 lions were living in the 20,000 square kilometre (7,700 square miles) sanctuary up from 359 lions in 2005, with officials expecting to record a significant increase in the number of wild cats.

"We today finished the field exercise for census in eight regions in and around the Gir sanctuary and now we will start compiling the data collected in the last five days," additional principal chief conservator of forest S C Pant said.

The first lion census was carried out in 1936, when the area was a part of the princely state ofJunagadh. It recorded existence of 287 lions.