Why Did the Lion Lose His Mane?

Source: Science NOW Daily; By Brendan Borrell. 29 Sept. 06
http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org

The male lion's magnificent mane sets him apart from other cats--and it's a great charmer for the ladies--so why would he do without it? That question has puzzled scientists since 1833, when the first reports of "maneless" lions trickled in from around the world. Now, a research team reports that lions from the Tsavo region of Kenya deliberately delay mane growth to cope with the region's harsh temperatures.

John Patterson, an avid hunter and a British Colonel, was one of the first to document manelessness in Tsavo's legendary man-eaters. Ever since, naturalists have developed evolutionary scenarios that would have made Rudyard Kipling proud. Some researchers suggested that lions lost their manes because they were snagged too many times in Tsavo's ubiquitous thorn scrub. Others argued that Tsavo's aggressive lions have unusually high testosterone levels, known to cause male pattern baldness in humans. Still others proposed that Tsavo's lions were a distinct subspecies or were related to an extinct lion pictured in prehistoric caves.

But zoologist Thomas Gnoske at the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois, considered something these speculators didn't: lions shipped to zoos in cooler climates grow longer manes. This made him wonder whether hot temperatures account for Tsavo's thinning tomcats. To find out, Gnoske and colleagues studied museum specimens and conducted 10 years of fieldwork in Tsavo and in the Serengeti, which is about 10 degrees cooler. In an article published online this month in the Journal of Zoology, the team reports that lions in the Serengeti grow a full mane in 5 years--by the time they're ready to breed--but that Tsavo's lions don't have much of mane until age 8, well past their reproductive prime.

Gnoske thinks smaller manes improve a young, vigorous lion's ability to keep cool. Bushy manes probably evolved to attract females in cooler climates where heat stress was not an issue, Gnoske says, and lions can't just turn off that program, now that they're in a place like Tsavo. "They're hard-wired to grow a mane, period, and they'll develop as large of a mane as they possibly can."

Mammalogist Roland Kays of the New York State Museum in Albany says he is surprised by the delay in mane development. However, he expresses concern about the accuracy of using field observations to estimate the age of Tsavo's lions. Gnoske says his team is currently focusing its research on Tsavo lions with known birth dates, but it will be a challenge to keep track of the wide-ranging animals through maturity, especially since radio collars are prohibited in Tsavo's national parks.

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Saifai Lion Safari to realise Mulayam's dream

Saifai Lion Safari to realise Mulayam's dream

Source: http://www.newkerala.com/news4.php?action=fullnews&id=28727

 

Abhinav Pandey, Lucknow, Sept 28: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav's native village of Saifai in Etawah district would soon have the distinction of having the state's first lion safari, which will house endangered Asiatic lions.

 

Yadav's dream lion safari project at Fischer forest area in his constituency is likely to take shape on 35 hectares of land with a cost of Rs 18.57 crore. The Asiatic lions, which are facing a serious threat of extinction, would be given natural breeding atmosphere in the proposed safari in Saifai nesteled between the Yamuna and Chambal rivers, Forests Principal Secretary V N Garg told PTI.  These royal beasts were found roaming in south-western Asia and northern India barely 200 years ago and are now confined to a small pocket in Gir forest reserve of Gujarat only, he said.

 

Etawah district had a remarkable similarity of temperature and humidity, vegetation, ruggedness of the terrain with the Gir protected area, Garg added. This lion safari in Safai would be a special kind of zoo where the Asiatic lion would be kept for breeding so that the threat of their extinction could be minimised. About the breeding process, Garg said these lions breed very fast but the mortality rate of their cubs are very high.

 

"In the safari, with assured food we will surely succeed in bringing down the mortality rate," he said adding it would also be ensured that only pure Asiatic lions were kept in the safari so that chance of inter-breeding could be minimised. The government plans to borrow these Asiatic lions, to be kept in the Safari, from national zoos including one in Lucknow and Kanpur, Garg said.  Garg said the government had chalked out a "fool proof" plan and the budget for setting up the safari had been sent for approval to the planning department.

 

He said the Supreme Court had in an order in 2000 directed that no state government or union territory could set up a new zoo without getting clearance from the Capital Zoo Authority (CZA) and the court. The clerance from the CZA had been obtained and the matter was pending clearance from the apex court, which was expected soon. "Once the apex court's clearance is received the work on the proposed safari will begin," he said. Garg said the proposed lion safari would help encourage and provide an opportunity to the people of the state to learn about wild life protection and conservation. Besides, the western region of the state had no zoo thus depriving a vast population of an opportunity to know about the wild life, he said.

 

It would also provide the much needed fillip to the state's tourism sector as a large number of people are expected to visit the safari, he said. Safai has already been bestowed with an airstrip, a grand stadium cum sports complex and a state-of-the-art hospital on the lines of the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of edical Sciences in Lucknow. The area is also notoriuous for dacoits which get a safe haven in the ravines of the Chambal river ensconsed by bhind and Morena districts of Madhya Pradesh across the river.

Scientists study lion mane variability

Source: http://science.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1205269.php

CHICAGO, IL, United States (UPI) -- U.S. zoologists say they have dispelled several longstanding misconceptions about mane variability among wild lions in the first such study of its type.

The nearly 7-year scientific assessment by researchers from Chicago`s Field Museum of Natural History found wild lions generally develop manes in accordance with local climate regimes. In Equatorial East Africa, climate is determined by elevation, thus lions with the largest manes occur at the upper limit of their altitudinal range, while similar-age males in the lowest and warmest environments typically have modest or scanty manes.

But, paradoxically, other lions in low and warm regions appear to acquire respectable manes, contrary to most popular and scientific accounts of the lions from Africa`s Tsavo region.

'We knew about the climate/elevation correlation since we were the first to publish those preliminary results in GEO 2001, but this new development really threw us for a loop,' said Tom Gnoske, senior author of the paper. 'However, once we analyzed all of the statistical data we found a very strong correlation linking increased age and continued mane development -- a significant variable ignored by all previous authors'

Asiatic Lion injured....

Lion injured due to internal fight in Gebar forest area near Bagdana a new home for Asiatic Lions and rescued by Rescue Team, treated and left in natural home.

Thanks,

Amit B. Jethava
President - Gir Nature Youth Club
Email: amitjethava@ hotmail.com

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Atul Singh Nischal wants all Asiatic Lion lovers to know.....

Atul Singh Nischal is a active wildlife lover and strongly spreading awareness about benefits of translocating few Asiatic Lions to Kuno Wildlife Sancturay in Madhya Pradesh. Today I received following email from him which I would like to share some part of it with everybody.

Hello all of you interested in nature & wildlife and in saving the Asiatic Lions for our future generations and Mr. Kishore Kotecha of “Gir & Asiatic Lion Protection Society (GALPS)”, India (State of Gujarat) and Amit B. Jethava of “Gir Nature Youth Club”, India (State of Gujarat)

Mr. Kishore Kotecha, yes please post photos & Asiatic Lion/Gir/Kuno news regularly to the Group, also translate local Gujarati news and post to ASIATIC LION Group as well as on the Blog. You can always mention at the bottom of the news that it is also now posted on the ASIATIC LION Blog and give the address of the blog also mention it is there in the Links section of our Group. As you know both "Gir & Asiatic Lion Protection Society (GALPS)" website and the Blog has already been added in the “Links” section of the ASIATIC LION Group by me for the benefit of all of us.

It is also great news that you Mr. Amit B. Jethava, President, “Gir Nature Youth Club” have also joined the ASIATIC LION Group, now you can continue your efforts to save Gir Sanctuary & surrounding habitat and Asiatic Lions along with all of us and your input is always appreciated as it will also inform all of us of what is happening on the field in Asiatic Lion territory. You are welcome to also post photos & Asiatic Lion/Gir/Kuno news regularly to the Group, also translate local Gujarati news and post to ASIATIC LION Group as well. You and your club members are also close to Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary and surrounding regions where wild Asiatic Lions live like the members of GALPS, I will request that both your teams become members of this group and treat this as your own group. All the members of "Gir Nature Youth Club" and "Gir & Asiatic Lion Protection Society (GALPS)" please coordinate together your efforts to save the Asiatic Lions and spread awareness about their precarious situation. I will also request all of you to make joint trips regularly over the years to both Gir Sanctuary in Gujarat State and Kuno Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh State and also Zoos around the country who have or will have Asiatic Lions to ensure their wellbeing. Of course we love all the other animals and the forest/wilderness too so lets all care for nature as a whole too.

Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in India, in the state of Madhya Pradesh is soon going to be the second home for wild Asiatic Lions (a geographically separated secure "second population" in a "second region" to guard against epidemics and natural calamities and who knows even War). All of us Wildlife & Asiatic Lion lovers should appreciate the efforts and sacrifice of the poor tribals from 24 villages who have already agreed and moved out of Kuno to make it an undisturbed second home for the re-introduction of wild free ranging Asiatic Lions. Thousands of Asiatic Lions lived in the State of Madhya Pradesh in India too and other parts as well along with Tigers before they were killed off by man like in other parts of Asia including in Iran and Europe where the Asiatic Lions once reigned not too long ago.

You all who are closer to Gir and Asiatic Lions should visit both Gir and Kuno and also post your trip photos and reports here on the group from time to time. Also appreciate the efforts of Madhya Pradesh Forest Department in preparing Kuno for Asiatic Lion re-introduction along with Gujarat Forest Department who is taking care of Gir where the only wild population of Asiatic Lions in the world is found presently. If you have any complains about any government employee or political party not doing enough for the Asiatic Lions and the protection of their habitat you can jointly lodge a complaint and let us all know too how it progresses. You can also write to Madhya Pradesh Forest Department and the Chief Minister to prepare Kuno properly for the Asiatic Lions and take urgent needed action so that it is ready to host Asiatic Lions sooner. Allocate funds in time to protect increasing wildlife population in Kuno against illegal poaching, help properly in rehabilitating tribals from villages who have agreed and moved out of the forest to make place for the Asiatic Lions. Inquire about what is the status of the prey population in Kuno and if any translocation of prey is being done to Kuno to supplement Asiatic Lion food base there. There are enough Nilgais and Wildboars in farmland all over the states in India that could be translocated to Kuno to help increase the prey base for Lions there. Prey translocation if needed can not be ignored. Though recent studies show that over the last decade or so the local prey base has already strengthened enough now to support a pride or two of translocated wild Asiatic Lions easily.

Unfortunately it seems the Indian State of Gujarat is still having difficulty in giving up its monopoly on the tourism revenues generated by wild Asiatic Lions which are only found in its bounds presently in the whole world. Gujarat is still opposing with all its might the re-introduction of wild free ranging Asiatic Lions to the Indian State of Madhya Pradesh, a program of the Central Government of India. You all can read about this tussle and the selfishness being shown by the State of Gujarat against sending any wild Asiatic Lions out of the State on the News pages of the website of “The Asiatic Lion Information Centre, The home of the European Asiatic Lion Breeding Programme” at: http://www.asiatic-lion.org/index.html

I know there is lot to be done but its good that all of us are coming together to build awareness to ensure the wellbeing of Asiatic Lions, their habitat and other animals that live there as well.

Let me also take this opportunity to thank Lisa ("Lisa C."wildview@mcn.org, zenzoolittle) to have helped us in forming this group and also thank Icer ("Annelisa Johnson" icer_01, icer@swiftdsl.com.au) and “Kishore Kotecha” (kotecha_kishore@yahoo.co.in, info@asiaticlion.org, info@royalenclave.com) for being moderators and helping with the management of our group.

Everybody is invited to post articles and photos about Asiatic Lions in their natural habitat or from Zoos around the world. General articles about Asiatic Lion history from around the world and about other animals with whom they share their habitats are also welcome.

Long live the Asiatic Lions and the wildernesses around Gir in Gujarat where they now live and Kuno forests where they shall rule again soon.

Also reminding you all once again there is a sister species to Asiatic Lions which shared much of its habitat all over Asia including in India, it’s the “Asiatic Cheetahs”. Now having gone recently extinct in India the very last 50 to 60 remain in Iran. You can also help in spreading awareness about them. As we speak now they are sprinting towards their “Final-Extinction”, please read about them and follow the research links in my following article on Asiatic Cheetah to help in saving them too from extinction: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Asiatic_Cheetah&oldid=75407443

Best wishes

Atul Singh Nischal
atulsinghnischal@yahoo.com

Zoo in northern India sets up old age home for dying lions

International Herald Tribune (The Associated Press, Published: Sept. 20, 2006)

Source: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/09/20/asia/AS_GEN_India_Asiatic_Lions.php

NEW DELHI Zookeepers in north India are watching mournfully as nearly two dozen lions slowly die after a breeding program left many cats sick, a wildlife official said Wednesday.

The program, which began in the late 1980s at the Chhatbir Zoo, tried to crossbreed Asiatic and African lions. It was discontinued in 2002 after many of the nearly 80 lions bred were struck by a mysterious disease aggravated by inbreeding and a weakened gene pool, said Kuldip Kumar, Punjab state's conservator of forests and wildlife. The Chhatbir Zoo, near the city of Chandigarh, is in Punjab state.

When the program ended, all of the male lions were given vasectomies to prevent further breeding, Kumar said. It will take about six years for the remaining 22 lions bred through the program to die of natural causes, he said.

Zoo authorities have decided to launch a new captive breeding project using "pure Asiatic lion stock from other zoos in the country but only after the last of the earlier crop of lions have been phased out," he said. The zoo has recently built an enclosed area for the oldest and most infirm of the lions, so they are not attacked by the more robust cats.

"At any time the zoo has around four to five lions that are too old and weak to compete with the younger more aggressive lions. This enclosure for them separates them from the younger lot," Kumar said. The lions are fed boneless meat and kept away from the zoo's immensely popular lion safari area, which is spread over 15 hectares (37 acres), he said.

Wildlife officials had originally hoped the hybrid cats could be introduced into the wild in an effort to bolster India's endangered wild lion population. "But we decided to stop breeding them after the lions were struck by a mysterious disease and some 30 of them died in 1999 and 2000," Kumar said.

Since Indian wildlife laws prevent killing animals, a cull of the aging cats has been ruled out. Meanwhile, zoo authorities were trying to make life a little bit more comfortable for the beasts.

Wildlife experts say rampant poaching is driving the Asiatic lion to extinction, especially in the Gir forests in western India, the last wild refuge of the big cats.

The last lion census conducted in the Gir forests in 2000 put the number of Asiatic lions at 320. However, the animals' numbers have further dwindled due to poaching, open wells that act as death traps and human encroachment on the lions' habitat.

Lions are poached for their pelts and claws, both of which command a huge price in the illegal wildlife trade.

Find Everything about ASIATIC LION & GIR at www.asiaticlion.org

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Gir lions on the verge of extinction
Bahar Dutt CNN-IBN Posted Tuesday , January 17, 2006 at 19:03
source: http://www.ibnlive.com/news/gir-lions-on-the-verge-of-extinction/3872-3.html

ROARING FOR ATTENTION:
The Asiatic lion in India is on the verge of extinction, but it's cry for attention is being ignored.

Outside Africa, India is the only place where lions exist today. Its wild cousin, the tiger, on the other hand is found almost throughout the country, numbering around 3000-5000.

In contrast there are only 300 lions left in the wild in India, all in one forest - Gir. The big cat is on the verge of extinction and is crying out for attention. CNN-IBN traveled to the last bastion of the Indian lion to find out why.

Gujarat: The country is obsessed about the survival of the Tiger, but India's other big cat – the Asiatic Lion – is in far more serious trouble.

Found only in Gujarat, the Asiatic Lion, may soon beat the tiger to extinction.
Documents in CNN-IBN's possession show that the lions of Gir are being poached for their claws.

In August 2005, two lions were killed near Patla Village, Gujarat. 15 claws were missing from their dead bodies.

In September, five claws were missing from yet another lion carcass.
Between August and December 2005, 12 Lions have died at Gir, five of them killed by poachers and each time for their claws.

Poaching Deaths in Gir
Aug 2005 2 Lions killed near Patla Village. 15 Claws missing.
Sep 2005 5 claws missing from a Lion Carcass.
Aug-Dec05 12 Lions Dead. 5 killed by Poachers.

Each claw is worth Rs 10,000. Add to this the fact that the number of lions in Gir is just 300 and that Gir is the only place in India where the Asiatic lion is found.

Watch live video at
http://www.ibnlive.com/videos/3872/gir-lions-on-the-verge-of-extinction.html#

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info@royalenclave.com has sent you an article from HoustonChronicle.com

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/world/4200738.html

Mystery disease killing lions in India

NEW DELHI -- Nearly two dozen crossbred lions are slowly dying in
northern India from a mysterious disease afflicting the hybrid
offspring of Asiatic and African cats paired in a discontinued
experimental program.

Zookeepers are mournfully watching the results of the program, which
began in the late 1980s at the Chhatbir Zoo and was ended in 2002 after
many of the nearly 80 crossbred lions were struck by a mysterious
disease linked to inbreeding and a weakened gene pool, said Kuldip
Kumar, Punjab state's conservator of forests and wildlife.

Wildlife officials had originally hoped the hybrid cats could be
introduced into the wild in an effort to bolster India's endangered
wild lion population.

When the program ended, all of the male lions were given vasectomies to
prevent further breeding, Kumar said.

Indian wildlife laws prohibit killing the animals.

It will take about six years for the remaining 22 crossbred lions to
die of natural causes, Kumar said.

Zoo authorities have decided to launch a new captive breeding project
using "pure Asiatic lion stock from other zoos in the country, but only
after the last of the earlier crop of lions have been phased out," he
said.

The zoo has recently built an enclosed area for the oldest and most
infirm of the lions, so they are not attacked by the more robust cats.

"At any time the zoo has around four to five lions that are too old and
weak to compete with the younger, more aggressive lions," Kumar said.

The lions are fed boneless meat, he said.

Wildlife experts say rampant poaching is driving the Asiatic lion to
extinction, especially in the Gir forests in western India, the last
wild refuge of the big cats.

The last lion census conducted in the forests in 2000 put the number of
Asiatic lions at 320. The animals' numbers have further dwindled due to
poaching, open wells that act as death traps and human encroachment on
lion habitat.

Lions are killed for their pelts and claws, both of which command a
huge price in the illegal wildlife trade.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Brought to you by the HoustonChronicle.com

Waiting to die: last days of the cross-bred lions too weak to eat
Source: The Independent – UK. 18 September 2006
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article1616628.ece

In the heat of the Punjab plain, an Indian zoo is waiting for its collection of lions to die. The males have all been sterilised, to prevent them breeding. Once the Chhatbir zoo had more than 70 lions; today there are 21 left. The problem is that Chhatbir zoo's lions are the result of an experiment in cross-breeding that went horribly wrong.

Looking to devise a special attraction during the eighties, the zoo's administrators created a unique hybrid species by cross-breeding Asiatic and African lions. Less well-known than its African cousin, the Asiatic lion is slightly smaller and has a less shaggy mane. It is close to extinction in the wild: there are only some 300 left, and the only place they are found is the Gir national park in India.

On paper, the cross-breeding programme looked fine. Lions have been successfully cross-bred with tigers, leopards and jaguars - so why not a cross between two natural sub-species? The zoo acquired two performing African lions that were being used in a circus, and bred them with its own two Asiatic lions.

But when their cubs were born, it became clear that all was not well. The hybrid lions were all born with severely weak hind legs. They could barely walk. It got worse: as the years went by, many of the hybrids' immune systems began to fail.

In 2000, when it had bred more than 70 hybrid lions, Chhatbir zoo decided to end the disastrous programme. The males were given vasectomies, and the authorities decided to wait for the hybrids to die naturally.

Today, some of the surviving hybrids are so weak that they cannot even tear meat from bones, and can eat only boneless meat.

With the Asiatic lion so severely endangered in the wild, conservationists have criticised the zoo for "wasting" its breeding programme on creating an unnatural hybrid subspecies. The zoo says that it will turn to breeding pure Asiatic lions, once all the hybrids have died out.
Although there are only 300 left in the wild, the Asiatic lion is in fact one of conservation's success stories. It almost died out completely in the wild: in 1907, there were just 13 animals left. That was when the Nawab of Junagadh, who was then the ruler of one of colonial India's princely states, ordered that they should be given protection within his lands.
The Asiatic lion was once found across a huge swath of the world, from the subcontinent, across Iran and the Arabian peninsula, and even in Europe, in the Balkans. But hunting and human expansion wiped it out everywhere but one corner of India - the Gir forest, the Nawab's old lands, which today lie in Gujarat.

There is a long history of experimental cross-breeding of lions and other big cats. Lions and tigers have been cross-bred to create "ligers", the world's biggest cats, which have faint stripes and small manes.

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Zoo phasing out hybrid lion species after failed experiment
Source: The Hindu News Update Service September 17, 2006
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200609171963.htm

New Delhi, Sept. 17(AP): Authorities said they were allowing 24 hybrid lions to die off after a decades-old crossbreeding experiment at a northern Indian zoo produced only weak offspring, many of whom have already died, a conservator said on Sunday.
Most of the surviving lions and lionesses, aged 12 years or older, are only expected to live for another five to six years, Kuldip Kumar, a Conservator at the Forest and Wildlife Department of Punjab.

It was hoped that the hybrid beasts could be introduced into the wild in an effort to bolster the endangered wild lion population in India.
After it became evident that the experiment dating from the 1980s to crossbreed Asian and African varieties of lions had failed, the Indian government decided against continuing the project.

Of the about 80 animals bred under the programme at the Chhatbir Zoo in the northern city of Chandigarh, up to 30 of them died in 1999 and 2000 due to a mysterious illness, Kumar said, adding that it could have resulted from ``excessive inbreeding or because of mixed stock.''
Several others have died of natural causes, he said.
These animals were produced by breeding captive Asiatic lions and African circus animals, he said.

From a wildlife conservation point of view, the mixed stock don't have any value,'' he said.
The zoo has 10 lions and 14 lionesses remaining, and those appear to be healthy, Kumar told The Associated Press.

The last lion census conducted in the Gir forests in western India in 2000 put the number of Asiatic lions at 320. However, the animals' numbers are dwindling due to poaching.
Lions in the Gir forest are poached for their pelts and claws, both of which command a huge price in the illegal wildlife trade.
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Lion Attacks youth in Dhari
Source: Times News Network Dtd. 17-9-2006

Rajkot: A lion attacked a youth on the border of Nani Dhari and Gadiya village, in Dalkhania range of Gir, on Saturday morning. The victim, Jitu Kathi, 25, a resident of Nani Dhari, was admitted to a hospital in Dhari after he sustained injuries on his leg and chest. According to his relatives, Jitu had gone with his cattle on the outskirts of he village when he spotted eight lions enjoying a kill. But before Jitu could leave the area, he was attacked by an adult lion.

Junagadh conservator of forests, Bharat Pathak said, “The incident took place on the border of the sanctuary. There is possibility that Jitu disturbed the lion family which had some adult cubs or Jitu may have been unaware of their presence and might have just blundered up to them.”

A senior officer, refusing to be quoted, said that usually when lions are enjoying a kill, it is dangerous to disturb them. But villagers in Dhari often try to attack them after they kill their buffaloes or any cattle. The officer said this makes the lions angry and they tend to retaliate. Sources in the department said that currently with dense growth of grass in the area, animals tends to stray outside the sanctuary to avoid the insects, leading to human-animal conflict during the monsoon.

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UP CM wants lion safari for Saifai
Source 16 Sep, 2006 TIMES NEWS NETWORK

NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav continues to pamper his constituency of Saifai.

After having rewarded his pocket borough with a sports complex, an airstrip and entertainment extravaganza featuring Bollywood biggies, he wants to dole out another gift to the constituency for standing steadfast behind him, but has run into an obstacle in the form of a guideline laid down by the Supreme Court.

To give shape to his dream 'lion safari' project, the UP government has to comply with the November 27, 2000, order of the Supreme Court, which said: "No state government or Union territory shall set up a new zoo without getting clearance from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and orders from this court.”

In an application seeking the SC's permission, the state said except for zoos at Lucknow and Kanpur, western and eastern UP had no zoo, depriving a vast population an opportunity to learn and educate themselves about wildlife protection and conservation.

To correct this, the state government wishes to open a lion safari, which it described as a special kind of zoo, in the Fischer forest area of Etawah district. To buttress its arguments for a lion safari, the state, in its application moved through advocate Wasim A Qadri, expressed concern about the dwindling numbers of Asiatic lions, facing "serious threat of survival".

It narrated how these royal beasts were found roaming in south-western Asia and northern India just 200 years ago and are now confined to a small pocket in the Gir reserved forest of Gujarat.

"In view of this and the importance of the role of zoos and safaris in terms of conservation education, a lion safari park in an area of 150 hectares in the Fischer forest is being conceived,"the application said.

On the selection of Etawah district for the proposal, the government said, "There is a remarkable similarity of temperature and humidity, vegetation, ruggedness of the terrain etc between the selected area and the Gir protected area."

After justifying Etawah's suitability, the state explained its seriousness about the project by pointing out that a budgetary allocation of Rs 1.04 crore has already been made in this financial year towards the lion safari, which is estimated to cost Rs 5.6 crore. The state also placed before the apex court its communication to CZA seeking permission to set up the safari.


Dead body of Lioness found in Moruka Village
Source: Gujarat Samachar Daily 09-09-2006 (Translated from Gujarati Language)

Today a dead body of a female lion was found in village of Moruka. As reported by department of forest a decomposed dead body was found near temple of Avdai Mataji near Moruka Village. Postmortem of dead body was done by Ankolwadi Animal Hospital and Sasan Animal Care Centre and then it was sent to Forensic Laboratory at Junagadh for further investigation. So far cause of death is undetected.

It is also heard that a female leopard was found dead in open well near Una Coastal Area. Since last few months death of wild animals by falling in open well has drastically increased.

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Gujarat expanding home for lions, says shifting needless

Source: “The Hindu” News Update Service. September 7, 2006
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/008200609070310.htm

New Delhi, Sept 7. (UNI): The Guajrat Wildlife Department, which is strongly questioning the rationale of shifting some of Asiatic lions from the Gir forest in the State to Palpur sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, is expanding the habitat for the jungle kings.
"Large scale efforts are on to expand the habitat for the lions, and we see no reason why they should be driven away from their homes for lack of space," Gujarat Chielf Wildlife Warden Pradeep Khanna said talking to UNI here.
The controversial project was mooted after it was found that the Gir forests, home to the world’s last Asiatic lions, were turning a little too cramped for the lions. The forests are spread over an area of 1,400 sq km. There have been cases of the lions straying out of the sanctuary and attacking cattle in nearby villages.
However, the Gujarat Government has strongly opposed the move. "The state Wildlife Department has with the cooperation of the people successfully conserved the lions all these years, so the plan to shift them was unnecessary, "said Mr Khanna.
We are adding more area to their habitat and making them conducive for the growth and survival of the lions, he said.
He was here to take part in a two-day confernce of state conservators of forests and chief wildlife wardens organised by the Ministry of Forest and Environment.
Moreover, Mr Khanna said, his Department did not find the preparation in Madhya Pradesh adequate enough to house the lions.
He said their opposition to the move was also based on the ground that no purpose will be served by shifting a small number of the lions (the proposed number is two males and three famales) to the sanctuary in the neighbouring state.
It will be too small a group and will lead to loss of genetic diversty, he said.
He pointed out that two such efforts made in Chandraprabha and Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh have failed.
One more factor that is overlooked by those in favour of shifting the lions was that the protection of the lions was in the very ethos of the people of Gujarat, said Mr Khanna.
"They have learnt to live with the lions. They are born in and grow up in the ethos," he added.
On the other hand, Madhya Pradesh Principal conservator of Forest PV Gangopadhyaya, who had also come to attend the press conference, said his Government was making all efforts to make Palupur sanctaury conducive for housing the lions.
"It is a Central Government project. Already Rs 25 crore have been spent on the project, under which 24 villages have been relocated so far.
Recently Chief Ministers of both the States have spoken with eachother over the issue, he said.
He said a pre-base survey for bringing two male and three female lions to Madhya Pradesh had been completed by the Wildlife Institute of India.

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Lioness dead, leopard, jackal electrocuted in Gir
Source:- Express News Service – Sept 2, 2006

Junagadh, September 1: ALL’s not very well on the wildlife front in this part of the State. While a lioness died on Thursday evening at Sakkarbagh Zoo Hospital in Junagadh after prolonged illness, a leopard and jackal died of electrocution in the area bordering Gir forests last week.
The lioness was brought very ill to the hospital on August 14 from Sasan (Gir) forest headquarters and was under medical observation for 17 days. Sakkarbagh Zoo Superintendent R D Katara said the lioness was suffering from an infection due to repeated rectum prolapse.


Prolonged illness and weakness are stated to be the reasons for its death. Katara added that the lioness was about 11 years old.
Meanwhile, last Friday, a live electric wire was grounded at Amrutvel village located on Gir forest border.

A jackal reportedly came in contact with it and died while a four-year-old leopard too was electrocuted when it tried to eat the dead jackal.
PGVCL has been asked to replace the old electric supply lines passing near the forest, forest sources said.

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Six Asiatic Lions die in Delhi Zoo

Hygiene levels in Delhi Zoo to be enhanced
Source : Times of India 21st Aug 2006

NEW DELHI: After the death of six endangered Asiatic lions in the Delhi zoo, Centre is taking steps to enhance hygiene levels in the premises to avoid recurrence of such incidents. As a precaution, the zoo authorities have moved a lioness and her two cubs to the zoo hospital, while four other lions have been shifted to a separate enclosure. A senior scientist with the Central Zoo Authority has asked the Delhi Zoo officials to focus on improving the hygiene in the zoo. "The enclosures should be kept clean and the water bodies must be sanitised regularly," he said.

Six Asiatic lions, including four cubs, have died in the zoo over the past three weeks, due to viral infection and heart attack. The zoo officials have sent samples of a two-year-old lioness, who died due to heart attack, to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute in Bareilly for examination. The Central Zoo Authority is also awaiting the report before taking any decision about intervention in the matter.

Animal welfare organisations also advocated for a clean environment in the zoo and called for its revamp. "The zoo is too old and needs to be revamped at the earliest," said Paragnya Paramita Panda of the Wildlife Trust of India.

On July 25, two cubs died just after Anita, a lioness, gave birth to four cubs. The rest died in hospital on July 26 followed by the death of an eight-year-old lioness on August eight. A zoo official said the lion wards have been sanitised after the deaths and animals were being given medicine as a precautionary measure.

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Wells turn graveyards for Gir lions
Source: Times News Network Dtd. 25th Aug. 2006

Despite 10 to 12 incidents of Asiatic lions having died after falling in open wells near Gir forest every year, the state forest department is yet to come up with a permanent solution.

Sources in the forest department said that there are approximately 10,000 wells in eight talukas adjoining Gir forest, which are dangerous for wild animals, including lions and leopards. The forest department does not have any data showing how many wells remain uncovered or do not have parapets.

Amit Jethwa of Gir Nature Youth Club said that there should be some legislation for digging of wells and the need to either keep it covered or to build a parapet around it.

The forest department had received Rs 32- crore grant for the Eco Development Project in and around Gir forest. If part of the grant could be used for the construction of parapets, Incidents of lions and other wild animals falling into wells might stop, added Jethwa.

When contacted, Conservator of Forest Bharat Pathak said, “Parapet on around 700 wells in nearby areas were constructed by the forest department. The forest officials are also organising meetings with villagers to persuade them to construct parapets around wells for the safety of their cattle and wild animals. The Eco Development grant was not allocated only for parapet construction, but also for other development activities in the forest”

Pathak said that people were also being told to fill abandoned wells in their farm and in many cases, it has been done. However, he could not give the exact number of abandoned wells filled up in the area.

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Lions Rescued from well in Gir
Source: Times News Network Dtd. 24th Aug. 2006

In a dramatic rescue, two lions that fell in a well at a farm on Wednesday were saved by forest officials on Wednesday. The lions fell into the well near Dedan village of Tulsishyam range of Gir forest.

According to sources in forest department, the lions accidentally fell down the 60 foot deep well around 9 am. The well was on the farm of one Lakhabhai. The lions were not injured as the well was full of water.

A forest team with rescue equipment had reshed to the spot after villagers informed the officials. The sources said that both the lions will be released in Gir sanctuary again. One lion was around 2.5 years of age, while another was around one- and half-years old. The well was about without a parapet which is why the accident occurred, according to conservator of forest Bharat Pathak. During the rescue operation, large number of villagers gathered at the spot resulting in chaos.

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