Tigers take lion’s share in wildlife bill

03-05-2012
Tigers take lion's share in wildlife bill
Times of India
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-03/ahmedabad/31555383_1_asiatic-lions-tiger-protection-tiger-reserve

There are more than 1,700 tigers in the country today. In contrast, there are just 411 Asiatic Lions, all of them in Gujarat. And yet the proposed Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Bill of the Union government maintains a deathly silence on lion preservation in the country.

The draft of the bill, uploaded on the Union forest and environment ministry's website for comments, does not mention the pride of Gujarat even once while there are elaborate provisions for tiger protection. This has left many wondering if this is plain oversight, or there are other reasons for the ministry hearing the tiger's roar and turning a deaf ear to the lion's.

For the record, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed both the Asiatic Lion and the Indian tiger under the same category - endangered species. While Gujarat is the only home of the lion limiting its gene pool spread, the tiger is found in 17 states of the country.

Section 51 (e) of the bill says hunting in a tiger reserve or altering its boundaries would invite punishment of up to seven years with a fine that can go up to Rs 30 lakh. For all other Schedule I protected animals (lions included), it is five years and a fine of up to Rs 25 lakh.

Upset forest officials in Gujarat say the Central government seems to have forgotten that eight lions were killed by poachers only in 2007. They point to the statement of reasons for bringing the amended Act, which reads, "Leg hold traps are the main method used by organized poachers to bring down animals like the tiger and the leopard." The authors of the bill conveniently forgot that lions were killed in 2007 using the same traps.

A senior Gujarat officer said, "Gujarat has successfully cared for lions, but one needs strong legislation as back-up."

Lion expert Ravi Chellam says, "Because of the Centre's focus on tigers, many other animals and birds, including lions, have not got the attention they deserve. There is an urgent need for a detailed stuffy of all wildlife in the country."