Conservation and Ecology of Asiatic Lions

2 entries over 14 days, from 6 July 2026 to 19 July 2026.

01
6 July

Conservation of Asiatic lions

Asiatic lion population has grown from a few dozen in the early 20th century to approximately 891 today.
Scientific consensus, including reports from the Wildlife Institute of India, warns that a single-site population is vulnerable to extinction from epidemics, forest fires, and natural disasters.
The 2013 Supreme Court judgment directed the translocation of Asiatic lions from Gir, Gujarat, to Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh, citing the need for a second home for long-term survival.
The 'metapopulation approach' in conservation science advocates for distributing species across multiple, geographically distant habitats to reduce extinction risk.
The 2018 Canine Distemper Virus outbreak in the Gir population highlighted the risk of disease spread in dense, concentrated populations.
Project Lion (2020) is a government initiative aimed at expanding lion habitats, though proposals like Barda Wildlife Sanctuary are geographically close to Gir.
The delay in translocation highlights a conflict between national conservation priorities and regional resistance, despite the Supreme Court's declaration that lions are national heritage.

02
19 July

A study titled 'Dietary Pattern of Asiatic Lions in the Coastal Ecosystem of Saurashtra, Gujarat, India' reveals that coastal Asiatic lions rely primarily on wild prey rather than livestock.
Wild prey constitutes 64% of the diet and 70% of the biomass consumed by coastal lions.
Livestock accounts for 31% of the diet and 30% of the biomass.
Blue bull (nilgai) is the primary prey species, contributing 51% of the biomass consumed.
Wild pigs are the second most important wild prey, while cattle are the primary domestic prey.
The study analyzed 160 scat samples from coastal districts: Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Amreli, Bhavnagar, and Porbandar.
The coastal ecosystem supports over 100 Asiatic lions across three satellite populations.
As of the 2025 estimation, the total population of Asiatic lions in Gujarat is 891.

Newest first. A story that ran for 14 days is exactly the kind the mains paper asks about as one question.

Discuss the significance of wild prey availability in mitigating human-wildlife conflict in the context of the expanding range of Asiatic lions in Gujarat. 150 words · 19 July
The expansion of Asiatic lions into human-dominated coastal landscapes presents both conservation opportunities and management challenges. Analyze the role of ecological studies in informing wildlife management policies and ensuring the long-term viability of satellite populations. 250 words · 19 July
Discuss the ecological necessity of the 'metapopulation approach' in the conservation of endangered species, with specific reference to the Asiatic lion. 150 words · 6 July
Examine the challenges in balancing regional interests with national conservation mandates in India. How does the case of the Asiatic lion translocation reflect the complexities of environmental governance and the role of the judiciary in ensuring species survival? 250 words · 6 July

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