PIL against lion safari in Ambardi

23/12/2015
PIL against lion safari in Ambardi
The Times of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/PIL-against-lion-safari-in-Ambardi/articleshow/50295326.cms

Ahmedabad: A PIL in Gujarat high court on Tuesday questioned the forest department's proposal to create a 400-hectare lion safari park in near Ambardi village of Gir sanctuary on the ground that such a move would lead to ecological imbalance in the area and would disturb the wildlife.
Petitioner, a wildlife activist Biren Pandya, sought HC's intervention on the issue and urged the court to restrain forest officials from fencing and putting up permanent structures in the reserved forest area. He has argued that such a construction would adversely affect the wildlife in the area, moreover it is against the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act.

The petitioner contended that the park is proposed in the Ambardi reserve forest area which is a habitat of nearly 35-40 free ranging Asiatic lions. And the Chapter IV of the WP Act does not allow any such construction in the reserved forest area.
Construction and fencing would create hurdle in movement of not only lions but also other animals that fall in Schedule I category. This will lead to destruction of wildlife in this area. Moreover, any tinkering with the natural ecology of the jungle will lead to trouble for the endangered species of birds and they might face extinction.

Besides, the petitioner has raised the issue of corridors - Ambardi-Ranigala, Vadal-Gir PA, Ambardi-Lilya - and argued that these corridors which lion uses for movement would be destroyed.
Pandya in his petition stated that the forest department authorities have failed to learn lessons from the Devaliya model, which has created problems for wildlife. He has also sought HC guidelines for the foresters in this regard.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Jayant Patel and Justice VM Pancholi asked the state government to show provision in the WP Act or in any other law that permits the authorities to create such facility in forest areas. Further hearing is kept in January.

Earlier, the HC ordered the government to put things in place with regard to permission to hospitality units and encroachment. This too happened in response to an anonymous letter, which objected to similar proposal to create an eco-tourism site in the south-eastern part of Gir sanctuary.

7-yr-old boy, woman killed by lions in 'rarest of rare' attacks

27/12/2015
7-yr-old boy, woman killed by lions in 'rarest of rare' attacks
Nyoooz
http://www.nyoooz.com/rajkot/304675/7yrold-boy-woman-killed-by-lions-in-rarest-of-rare-attacks
Summary: However, it was too late as the boy was already torn apart by the wild cat. The lion that killed the boy (Rohit) was a radio-collared lion from the nearby sanctuary. "However, we are closely monitoring the wild cat. Forest officials increased vigil around the village to try and nab the lion that has potential of becoming a man-eater. Villagers, hearing Rumal's cries, came running and went into the forest area that borders the village and made loud noises, scaring away the lion.

RAJKOT: The man-animal conflict near Gir has once again come into focus as two persons, including a seven-year-old boy and a woman, died in separate incidents after they were attacked by lions on Saturday .The attacks by the wild cat was described as rarest of the rare by senior forest officials, who also claimed these attacks to be the first of their kind in the state. The population of lions has gone up from 411 in 2010 to 523 in the year 2015 according to the latest counting.In the first instance, seven-year-old Rohit was attack by a male lion -aged about 6-7 years old -when he was attending nature's call along with his father Rumal Adivasi (25) outside Babra Virdi village of Maliya Hatina taluka of Gir-Somnath district at around 6 am.Sources said the lion dragged the boy into the forest even as his father shouted for help. Villagers, hearing Rumal's cries, came running and went into the forest area that borders the village and made loud noises, scaring away the lion. 

However, it was too late as the boy was already torn apart by the wild cat. Forest officials increased vigil around the village to try and nab the lion that has potential of becoming a man-eater. The lion was captured later on Saturday evening and brought to Sasan, said deputy conservator of forest, Sasan.Rohit's father is a farm labourer from Dahod and had come to do work there.

New lion rule fed by Cecil debacle

20/12/2015

New lion rule fed by Cecil debacle

Nation & World
http://www.twincities.com/nation/ci_29290310/new-lion-rule-fed-by-cecil-debacle
WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is expected to extend Endangered Species Act protections for two breeds of lions in response to a large decline in their numbers in Africa over the past two decades.

The listings are to be announced Monday and include an order that appears to touch on circumstances surrounding the killing of a well-known lion named Cecil in Zimbabwe earlier this year. The order states that the Fish and Wildlife Service will deny a permit to import a sport-hunted lion to anyone who has been convicted or pleaded guilty to violating federal or state wildlife laws.

Walter Palmer, the Minnesota dentist who shot Cecil with a bow and arrow, had pleaded guilty in 2008 to making false statements to the Fish and Wildlife Service about a black bear fatally shot in western Wisconsin outside an authorized hunting zone.

The Fish and Wildlife Service cautioned against linking the order with Cecil's death, describing the action instead as a redoubling of efforts to ensure that violators of wildlife laws don't reap future benefits from importing wildlife and wildlife products.

The administration signaled it would protect lions in Africa long before Cecil's case caught the public's attention. The Fish and Wildlife Service proposed a rule in October 2014 to list the African lion as threatened. After getting feedback, the agency revised its findings.

It determined that two subspecies of lions live in Africa. One group, found primarily in western and central countries, is more genetically related to the Asiatic lion. Only about 1,400 remain in Africa and India.

The agency is listing that subspecies as endangered, meaning it risks extinction.

A second subspecies, numbering between 17,000 and 19,000 and found across southern and eastern Africa, will be listed as threatened.

The Endangered Species Act requires the Fish and Wildlife Service to list species as endangered or threatened regardless of the country where they live.

"If we want to ensure that healthy lion populations continue to roam the Africa savannas and forests of India, it's up to all of us -- not just the people of Africa and India -- to take action," said Dan Ashe, the agency's director.

The listings will bring extra protection for both subspecies: A permit would be required before importing any live or sport-hunted lions. The bar for an import permit would be highest with the endangered group, with permits granted if importing the animal would enhance the species' survival.

The permitting process for the threatened group would require the import to come from nations that have sound conservation practices and use trophy hunting revenue to sustain lion populations and deter poaching. Currently, sport hunters don't need a permit from the U.S. to bring in a trophy lion.

Ashe said trophy hunting can and does contribute to the survival of species in the wild as part of a well-managed conservation program. The new permitting requirements in the U.S. will encourage African countries to improve their lion management programs. The agency said hundreds of sport-hunted trophy lions are brought into the U.S. each year.

The agency already has authority to deny an import permit to individuals who have violated federal and state wildlife laws. Ashe's order essentially turns that authority into a requirement.

"Importing sport-hunted trophies and other wildlife or animal parts into the United States is a privilege, not a right, a privilege that violators of wildlife laws have demonstrated they do not deserve," Ashe said.

The agency said its investigation into the Cecil's killing is ongoing and declined to comment directly on the case.

Cecil was a major tourist attraction in Hwange National Park and was being monitored as part of an Oxford University study. Palmer said he shot the big cat outside the park's borders, but it didn't die immediately and was tracked down the next day.

Palmer said he would not have shot the animal if anybody in the hunting party has known of the lion's status. Zimbabwe officials cleared Palmer of wrongdoing in October, saying he did not break the country's hunting laws.

Yes, there are lions in India. Here’s why the U.S. is protecting both them and their African kin

21/12/2015
Yes, there are lions in India. Here's why the U.S. is protecting both them and their African kin

The Woshinton Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/12/21/cecil-wasnt-the-only-lion-needing-protection-the-u-s-just-moved-to-help-lions-youve-probably-never-heard-about/
The mighty African lion that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed as threatened and endangered on Monday goes by many names — the king of the beasts, Leo of the zodiac, so royal that that it doesn't just live in families — it lives in prides.

Yet the agency's action also shields another cat, the Asiatic lion, that's far less known or heralded. Unlike its sub-Saharan relatives, which are studied often by wildlife biologists and filmed relentlessly for TV wildlife shows, the few Asian lions that mostly roam the Indian state of Gujarat, in and around the Gir Forest, barely get a mention.

Estimates put their numbers at only about 500 in the forest and a small section of north Africa. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature, a group devoted to the protection of wild flora and fauna, listed them as critically endangered in 2000 and pegged the number of adults at only 175 eight years later. They are considerably worse off than east and southern Africa's lions, having been hunted almost to extinction in the 19th and 20th centuries.

[2 sub-species of lion will be added to the endangered list, activists say]

African lions, which through much of the last century roamed in the hundreds of thousands, now number about 20,000. They've long been beset by a mixed cocktail of issues.

In its announcement, Fish and Wildlife labeled the lions in India and west and central Africa as endangered and those in east and southern Africa as threatened.

Africa's population explosion is causing humans to expand into their range. Many of those people kill animals to sell as bush meat, reducing the wild prey that lions need to survive. When the lions instead begin preying on cattle, they're killed.

And the final issue: Governments promote lion hunting in exchange for lucrative permits that are supposed to contribute funds to programs meant to help conserve the species.  Under an agreement with the United Nations and member states, African governments such as Zimbabwe allow hunting with permits that cost up to $300,000. American hunters pay extra for a permit to import the slain animal's head into the United States as a trophy.

But if preservation is the goal, Fish and Wildlife Director Dan Ashe said Monday, the programs have failed and need "to be held to a much higher standard." The agency drew a bead on both practices by listing African and Asiatic lions as threatened or endangered, depending on their location, under the Endangered Species Act. The action will take effect in late January.

As part of the listing, Ashe said, the agency will place more scrutiny on how African nations that allow hunting use permit fees that are supposed to be spent on wildlife conservation. Fish and Wildlife vowed to determine "that all the revenue is transparent so we can be assured that these revenues aren't contributing to some kind of corruption in the range states that distracts from management."

That statement aligns with charges from at least one animal rights group, the Humane Society International, that there's no way of knowing what happens to the bounty governments get for the slaughter of not only lions, but elephants and rhinoceros, two others species that have undergone steep population declines resulting from poaching recently and hunting historically.

US places Indian lion in endangered species list

22/12/2015
US places Indian lion in endangered species list 
The Economic Times
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/us-places-indian-lion-in-endangered-species-list/articleshow/50278374.cms
WASHINGTON: The US will place a breed of lion found in India and Africa in the endangered species list in a bid to curb the dramatic decline of their population. 

The US Fish and Wildlife Service said it will list Panthera leo leo (a subspecies of lion) located in India and western and central Africa as endangered, and Panthera leo melanochaita, located in eastern and southern Africa, will be listed as threatened. 

"The lion is one of the planet's most beloved species and an irreplaceable part of our shared global heritage," said Dan Ashe, Director of US Fish and Wildlife Service. 

"If we want to ensure that healthy lion populations continue to roam the African savannas and forests of India, it is up to all of us - not just the people of Africa and India - to take action," he said. 

US Fish and Wildlife Service said the new scientific research have concluded that the western and central populations of African lion are more genetically related to the Asiatic lion. These lions are now considered the same subspecies, P l leo. 

"There are only about 1,400 of these lions remaining, 900 in 14 African populations and 523 in India. Considering the size and distribution of the populations, population trends and the severity of the threats, the Service has found that this subspecies meets the definition of endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA)," a statement by the US Fish and Wildlife Service said. 

The other subspecies of P l melanochaita likely numbers between 17,000-19,000 and is found across southern and eastern Africa. 

The US determined that this subspecies is less vulnerable and is not currently in danger of extinction. 

In the last 20 years, lion populations have declined by 43 per cent due to habitat loss, loss of prey base and retaliatory killing of lions by a growing human population. 

Coupled with inadequate financial and other resources for countries to effectively manage protected areas, the impact on lions in the wild has been substantial. 

The order issued in this regard, which aligns with President Barack Obama's National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking, will ensure that violators of wildlife laws are not subsequently granted permits for future wildlife-related activities, including the import of sport-hunted trophies. 

With an endangered listing, imports of P l leo will generally be prohibited, except in certain cases, such as when it can be found that the import will enhance the survival of the species. 

MP turns down offer to take in aged Asiatic lions from Junagadh zoo

22/12/2015
MP turns down offer to take in aged Asiatic lions from Junagadh zoo
Hindustantimes
http://www.hindustantimes.com/bhopal/mp-turns-down-offer-to-take-in-aged-asiatic-lions-from-junagadh-zoo/story-2f3Z6zt9o7TIRGHH0N1mGK.html
The old have nowhere to go and this seems to be applicable to animals as well. The Van Vihar national park management in Bhopal has refused to accept the pair of Asiatic lions it was offered by the Junagadh zoo on the grounds that they are very old.

The transfer, agreed upon by the Junagadh zoo in Gujarat and the MP forest department, was expected to be the first such transfer of Asiatic lions from Gujarat to MP, even as Gujarat continues to stall the transfer of Asiatic lions from Gir sanctuary to Palpur Kuno in MP, as part of the plan to create a second home for the big cats.

Sources in the forest department said that a team from Van Vihar national park visited the Junagadh zoo on December 14 to see the pair of lions they had been promised. On reaching Junagadh zoo, the team was aghast to find that the male lion offered was about 15 years old, while the lioness was about 12 years old. "Both animals were unfit. In fact, the male could not even stand up and had a defective eye," said a forest official in Bhopal.

An average lion lives up to 14 years in natural habitat, but in protected environment the animal can live up to 20 years.

Sources said the forest department would now write to the Junagadh zoo to choose another pair of lions for the transfer, failing which the transfer would be called off.

Lion electrocuted at farm, farmer arrested

 16/12/2015

Lion electrocuted at farm, farmer arrested
The Times of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Lion-electrocuted-at-farm-farmer-arrested/articleshow/50198060.cms
RAJKOT/AHMEDABAD: A four-year-old Asiatic lion died after being electrocuted in a farm in Nitali village near Tulsishyam in Amreli district.

The carcass was found near the adjoining Nana Kothariya village and the post-mortem confirmed that it died due to electrocution two days ago.

The forest department has arrested the farmer, Ravji Patel, who had put up electric fencing to protect his crops from wild boars and blue bulls (nil gai).

"Patel has confessed that he put up the fencing," said R Nala, deputy conservator of forests, Gir-West division.
This is the second incident of lion death in electrocution. On September 12, a seven-year-old lioness was electrocuted near Amarapur village in Maliya-Hatina taluka of Junagadh district.

In all, at least eight lions have died unnatural deaths, either mostly by falling into open wells, in Amreli, Junagadh and Gir Somnath dis tricts, since January 10.

There are 523 lions in Saurashtra spread over Bhavnagar, Junagadh, Amreli and Gir-Somnath districts.

Lioness attacks tracker in Amreli

A lion tracker was badly wounded after being attacked by a lioness that had entered Samadhiyala village of Amreli district on Tuesday morning. The tracker, Shahid Khan Pathan, was accompanying a forest team in the rescue operation.

Photographer Bhushan Pandya to be honoured at Sanctuary Wildlife Awards

15/12/2015
Photographer Bhushan Pandya to be honoured at Sanctuary Wildlife Awards
The Indian Express
http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/photographer-bhushan-pandya-to-be-honoured-at-sanctuary-wildlife-awards/
Wildlife photographer and conservationist Bhushan Pandya has been selected for 2015 spotlight honour by nature and conservation portal Sanctuary Asia.

In recognition of his conservation efforts through his lens, Sanctuary Asia will shine the spotlight on Pandya at Sanctuary Wildlife Awards ceremony to be held in Mumbai on Friday. The senior lensman, who will be seated in the auditorium for the awards ceremony, will come under the spotlight while telling the story of his wildlife conservation efforts to the audience.

"During the ceremony, we will also shine a spotlight on individuals who are in their own way making the country a better place for our children. The idea is to let the audience know that it does not matter who they are and where they come from. Each one of them too can make a difference. We are delighted that you have consented to allow us to shine a spotlight on you to showcase your work," Bittu Sahgal, editor of Sanctuary Asia stated in a letter to Pandya.

Sexagenarian Pandya, who is based in Rajkot has been shooting and recording Gir forest in Gujarat, the only natural habitat of endangered Asiatic lions in the world for the last three decades. He has also photographed a number of other national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in India and Africa. He is also a member of state wildlife board of Gujarat.

 Appreciating Pandya's spirit even after near-fatal car accident two years ago, the letter further reads: "The car crash left you paralysed for months. But your spirit, the same one that quietly and with no trace of ego shares wildlife images and knowledge with anyone who asks, never wavered. Through the traumatic weeks of recovery, you have reiterated your commitment to wild India."

Pandya has partially recovered from the spinal-chord injury and started visiting Gir again around a year ago. 

A big roar for Gir’s eco warriors

18/12/2015
A big roar for Gir's eco warriors
Mid-day
http://www.mid-day.com/articles/mumbai-diary-friday-dossier/16783186
At The Sanctuary Wildlife Awards 2015 held yesterday, several environmentalists from different walks of life were acknowledged for their work.
Held at the Press Club of Mumbai last evening, this diarist was glad to spot Rasila Vadher. The young ranger's bravery was applause-worthy during an earlier interview. The forest guard came into popular view when a TV series documented the rescue work of the female forest guards inside Gir's treacherous forests. Vadher and other guards have been a part of over 900 rescue operations, which involved her come face to face with pythons and lions. Roar!

 

Gujarat wants 25 years to move its lions to Madhya Pradesh sanctuary

18/12/2015
Gujarat wants 25 years to move its lions to Madhya Pradesh sanctuary
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/gujarat-wants-25-years-to-move-its-lions-to-mp-sanctuary/story-QAPk968RMu8uNERNwaf2yN.html
Hindustantimes
The environment ministry has poured cold water on demands for translocating lions from the Gir National Park in Gujarat to the Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, saying the process will take more than 25 years.

In a response submitted in the Lok Sabha, environment minister Prakash Javadekar said the matter of relocating lions from Gujarat to Madhya Pradesh (both BJP-ruled states) was a "long-term action", starting from preparing the translocation area in MP to identifying the lions in Gujarat.

"The whole programme encompasses action for over 25 years," Javadekar said in a written reply to a question asked by two Congress Lok Sabha MPs – Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Sources in the ministry said the Lok Sabha statement was made after consultation with experts, who were of the view that the translocation of lions was not immediately possible.

"We don't think Kuno is perfect to support a lion population as an issue of conflict with tigers was emerging," a senior ministry official said, requesting anonymity.

The tigers that now call the Kuno-Palpur sanctuary home were brought in from the congested Ranthambore reserve in Rajasthan. Many wildlife experts believe the two big cats cannot co-exist in a small manmade sanctuary like Kuno.

However, Fayaz Khudsar, a biologist with Delhi University and on whose petition the apex court had ordered the relocation of lions, said there has been no scientific research on the subject in central India.

"A small paper published by wildlife historian Mahesh Rangarajan found that lions and tigers had co-existed in Shivpuri district before they were hunted down over 100 years ago," he said, adding the ministry should set up an expert committee to study the issue.

The ministry official also said the topographies of Gir and Kuno were totally different. "Gir is a dry, deciduous forest whereas Kuno falls in a wet zone," the official said.

To checkmate any possibility of relocation outside the state, the Gujarat government in turn has proposed an alternative home for the Gir lions in the state's Amerli region, which has similar weather conditions as Gir.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi as chief minister of Gujarat had opposed the lion relocation project, but the Supreme Court in April 2013 directed the central government to translocate some of the big cats from their only home in India to a manmade green habitat in the Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh.

With Javadekar's reply in the Lok Sabha, officials said, the issue has been settled for the time being.

Fwd: Taj Group's resort in Gir gets SC relief

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: KISHORE KOTECHA <itika1994@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Dec 24, 2015 at 12:14 PM
Subject: Taj Group's resort in Gir gets SC relief
To: kotecha_kishore@yahoo.co.in, kotechakishore.girlion1@blogger.com

11/12/2015
Taj Group's resort in Gir gets SC relief
Times of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Taj-Groups-resort-in-Gir-gets-SC-relief/articleshow/50131313.cms
AHMEDABAD: The Supreme Court has stayed the Gujarat high court's order by which the Taj Group's luxury resort which falls in the Gir sanctuary , the last abode of the Asiatic lion, was sealed.
With the stay on the HC order, Hotel Taj Gateway can now start functioning, at least till the final decision by the apex court on the issue. This hotel was closed during a sealing drive carried out in March-April at the high court's instance because most hospitality units around Gir sanctuary were functioning in gross violation of the eco-tourism policy . The HC refused to un-seal it when the hotel management approached it on April 13. They hence moved the apex court. Experts believe the SC's intervention and relief to the luxury resort run by Indian Hotels Company Ltd has paved the way for other hospitality units facing action for violation of norms to also seek redress. They may approach the high court citing the SC order and claim relief by requesting the court to direct authorities to remove the seals on numerous rooms in guest houses across three districts. When the HC was intimated about the apex court's order, the division bench of Acting Chief Justice Jayant Patel and V M Pancholi asked additional advocate general Prakash Jani to find out whether the proceedings should be stalled till the SC reaches a final conclusion in this case. The HC has deferred proceedings till next month. In this case, the Centre gave land to the state government in 1971. This particular plot was leased to Gujarat tourism. The hotel group got a 20-year lease in 1994 and the hotel was constructed. The lease was renewed last year. However, the mandatory permission from the National Board of Wildlife was not obtained and hence the forest department did not issue an NOC to operate the hotel inside the sanctuary.

Taj Group's resort in Gir gets SC relief

11/12/2015
Taj Group's resort in Gir gets SC relief
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Taj-Groups-resort-in-Gir-gets-SC-relief/articleshow/50131313.cms
AHMEDABAD: The Supreme Court has stayed the Gujarat high court's order by which the Taj Group's luxury resort which falls in the Gir sanctuary , the last abode of the Asiatic lion, was sealed.
With the stay on the HC order, Hotel Taj Gateway can now start functioning, at least till the final decision by the apex court on the issue. This hotel was closed during a sealing drive carried out in March-April at the high court's instance because most hospitality units around Gir sanctuary were functioning in gross violation of the eco-tourism policy . The HC refused to un-seal it when the hotel management approached it on April 13. They hence moved the apex court. Experts believe the SC's intervention and relief to the luxury resort run by Indian Hotels Company Ltd has paved the way for other hospitality units facing action for violation of norms to also seek redress. They may approach the high court citing the SC order and claim relief by requesting the court to direct authorities to remove the seals on numerous rooms in guest houses across three districts. When the HC was intimated about the apex court's order, the division bench of Acting Chief Justice Jayant Patel and V M Pancholi asked additional advocate general Prakash Jani to find out whether the proceedings should be stalled till the SC reaches a final conclusion in this case. The HC has deferred proceedings till next month. In this case, the Centre gave land to the state government in 1971. This particular plot was leased to Gujarat tourism. The hotel group got a 20-year lease in 1994 and the hotel was constructed. The lease was renewed last year. However, the mandatory permission from the National Board of Wildlife was not obtained and hence the forest department did not issue an NOC to operate the hotel inside the sanctuary.

Land of the lions in heart of London

06/12/2015
Land of the lions in heart of London
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Land-of-the-lions-in-heart-of-London/articleshow/50060403.cms
AHMEDABAD: Londoners can now stay within a whisker of Gujarat's pride -Gir's Asiatic lions. The Zoological Society of London (ZSL), as part of its international project to protect Asiatic lions in Gir, has created a mini Gir sanctuary in London Zoo with a lodging facility called the Gir Lion Lodge.
It needs mention that London Zoo has three Asiatic lions - Indi, Heidi and Rubi - which are the progeny of big cats sourced from Gir years ago. Two more lions from Gir will be sent to ZSL by March. Designed on the lines of Sasan Gir, the lodge is part of the 'Land of the Lions' project to be opened by ZSL in May 2016. Spread over 2500 sq mt, the exhibit includes lion enclosures that are a throwback to lion's original dwelling in Gir. A metre-gauge railway station outside the Gir sanctuary, local shopping streets and the famed man-lion harmony in Sasan's villages have been depicted in the highly realistic exhibit.
Emma Taylor, head of product development at ZSL, said the effort will give Londoners a chance to live with magnificent Asiatic lions roaring in the heart of London. "This will also fund our work for wildlife around the world," she said.
Interestingly, the lodge, bookings for which began this week, will remain open from May to December. Gir sanctuary in Gujarat ,which is home to 523 lions, remains closed from May to October due to rains.
Dr A P Singh, chief conservator of forest Junagadh, said, "The ZSL recently donated one lakh pounds towards the conservation of lions in Gujarat. The state forest department has agreed to give two more lions to ZSL to prevent inbreeding."

Lion cub rescued from well in Talala

01/12/2015
Lion cub rescued from well in Talala
Nyoooz
http://www.nyoooz.com/rajkot/277827/lion-cub-rescued-from-well-in-talala
Summary: Rajkot: A three-month-old lion cub was rescued by the forest department on Sunday night from a 60ft deep farm well in Talala taluka of Junagadh. According to forest officials, they received a call around noon on Sunday from Ratidhar village of Talala saying that a lion cub had fallen into a well. "The cub was rescued and given treatment. The cub had fallen into the well of farm owned by Pragjibhai Kalsaria. Now, we are in search of its mother to unite them," said a forest official.

Rajkot: A three-month-old lion cub was rescued by the forest department on Sunday night from a 60ft deep farm well in Talala taluka of Junagadh. According to forest officials, they received a call around noon on Sunday from Ratidhar village of Talala saying that a lion cub had fallen into a well. A team was sent with rescue equipment to the village. The cub had fallen into the well of farm owned by Pragjibhai Kalsaria. "The cub was rescued and given treatment. 

Now, we are in search of its mother to unite them," said a forest official. . . . 

ગુજરાત માટે આનંદની વાત : હવે MP નહિ મોકલાય આપણાં સિંહ

18/12/2015
ગુજરાત માટે આનંદની વાત : હવે MP નહિ મોકલાય આપણાં સિંહ
Sandesh
http://m.newshunt.com/india/gujarati-newspapers/sandesh/national/gujarat-mate-aanandani-vat--have-mp-nahi-mokalay-aapana-sinh_47462306/c-in-l-gujarati-n-sande-ncat-National
(18 Dec) ગુજરાતના જંગલમાં વસવાટ કરતા વનરાજો હવે ગુજરાતમાં જ રહેશે. તેઓનુ કયાંય પણ સ્‍થળાંતર નહી થાય. ગીર નેશનલ પાર્કમાંથી મધ્‍યપ્રદેશના કુનો-પાલપુર વાઇલ્‍ડ લાઇફ સેન્‍ચુરીમાં સિંહોના સ્‍થળાંતર કરવાની માંગણી ઉપર કેન્‍દ્રીય પર્યાવરણ મંત્રાલયે ઠંડુ પાણી રેડી દેતા કહ્યુ છે કે, આ પ્રક્રિયાને રપ વર્ષથી વધુ સમય લાગી શકે તેમ છે. લોકસભામાં એક પ્રશ્નના જવાબમાં પર્યાવરણમંત્રી પ્રકાશ જાવડેકરે કહ્યુ હતુ કે, ગુજરાતથી મધ્‍યપ્રદેશમાં સિંહોનું સ્‍થળાંતર કરવાની પ્રક્રિયા બહુ લાંબી છે અને આ માટે રપ વર્ષથી વધુ સમય લાગી શકે તેમ છે. તેમણે સાંસદ કમલનાથ અને જયોતિરાદિત્‍ય સિંધીયાના સવાલના જવાબમાં આ મુજબ જણાવ્‍યુ હતુ. મધ્‍યપ્રદેશમાં સિંહો માટે સ્‍થળની જગ્‍યાની તૈયારીથી માંડીને ગુજરાતમાં સિંહોની ઓળખ કરવા સુધીની પ્રક્રિયા બહુ લાંબી છે તેમ તેમણે જણાવ્‍યુ હતુ. પર્યાવરણ મંત્રાલયના સુત્રોએ જણાવ્‍યુ છે કે, નિષ્‍ણાંતો સાથે ચર્ચા-વિચારણા કર્યા બાદ લોકસભામાં આ લેખિત નિવેદન આપવામાં આવ્‍યુ હતુ. સિંહોના સ્‍થળાંતરનું કાર્ય તાત્‍કાલિક શકય નથી. એક અધિકારીએ જણાવ્‍યુ હતુ કે, સિંહોના વસવાટ માટે કુનો કોઇ પરફેકટ સ્‍થળ કહી ન શકાય કારણ કે ત્‍યાં વાઘ સાથે ઘર્ષણની શકયતા મોઢુ ફાડીને ઉભી રહે તેવી શકયતા છે. સિંહોની વસ્‍તીને સમર્થન આપવા માટે કુનો શ્રેષ્‍ઠ સ્‍થળ કહી ન શકાય. ત્‍યાં રાજસ્‍થાના રણથંભોરથી વાઘોને લાવવામાં આવ્‍યા છે અનેક વાઇલ્‍ડ લાઇફ નિષ્‍ણાંતોનું કહેવુ છે કે, કુનો જેવા મેનમેઇડ સેન્‍ચુરીમાં બે વન્‍ય પ્રાણીઓ એક સાથે રહી ન શકે. જો કે સુપ્રિમ કોર્ટમાં પીટીશન કરનાર ફયાઝ ખુદશરનું કહેવુ છે કે, સેન્‍ટ્રલ ઇન્‍ડિયા અંગે કોઇ વૈજ્ઞાનિક સંશોધન કરવામાં આવ્‍યુ નથી. તેમણે કહ્યુ છે કે, ૧૦૦ વર્ષ પહેલા શિવપુરી જિલ્લામાં સિંહ અને વાઘ બંને સાથે રહેતા જ હતા. મંત્રાલયે આ બાબતનો અભ્‍યાસ કરવા માટે નિષ્‍ણાંતોની એક સમિતિ રચવી જોઇએ. પર્યાવરણ મંત્રાલયના અધિકારીઓ પણ કહે છે કે, ગીર અને કુનો બે અલગ-અલગ કહી શકાય. ગીર ડ્રાય વિસ્‍તાર કહી શકાય જયારે કુનો વેટ (ભીનાશ)વાળા ઝોનમાં આવે છે. અત્રે નોંધનીય છે કે, ગુજરાત સરકારે સિંહોના સ્‍થળાંતરનો ભારે વિરોધ કર્યો હતો પરંતુ હવે પ્રકાશ જાવડેકરના જવાબથી એ સ્‍પષ્‍ટ થઇ ગયુ છે કે, હવે આ મામલો થોડા સમય માટે બંધ થઇ ગયો છે. ગીરના સિંહો ગીરમાં જ રહેશે.