In news–The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has prepared the document Lion @ 47: Vision for Amrutkal” to secure and restore lions’ habitats.
About the document-
- Project Lion envisages landscape ecology based conservation of the Asiatic Lion in Gujarat by integrating conservation and eco-development.
- The Project is being implemented in the Gir landscape in Gujarat which is the last home of the Asiatic lion.
Objectives-
Following are the objectives of the document:
- To secure & restore lions’ habitats for managing its growing population.
- Scale up livelihood generation and participation of local communities.
- Become a global hub of knowledge on big cat disease diagnostics and treatment.
- Create inclusive biodiversity conservation through project lion initiative.
About Asiatic Lion –
- The Asiatic lion is a population of Panthera leo leo that today survives in the wild only in India.
- Since the turn of the 20th century, its range has been restricted to Gir National Park and the surrounding areas in the Indian state of Gujarat.
- Historically, it inhabited much of southwest Asia to northern India.
- The lion is a large cat of the genus Panthera native to Africa and India.
- The lions were once found throughout Africa, Asia and Europe but their numbers have dwindled over the years in these continents.
- These majestic cats that symbolise courage, ferocity, and power are threatened by extensive habitat loss.
- The lion is an apex and keystone predator. It inhabits grasslands, savannas and shrublands.
- The lion is one of five pantherine cats native to India, along with the Bengal tiger (P. tigris tigris), Indian leopard (P. pardus fusca), snow leopard (P. uncia) and clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa).
- It is sexually dimorphic; adult male lions are larger than females and have a prominent mane.
- It is a social species, forming groups called prides. A lion’s pride consists of a few adult males, related females, and cubs.
- In the 19th and 20th centuries, several lion type specimens were described and proposed as subspecies, with about a dozen recognised as valid taxa until 2017.
- Between 2008 and 2016, IUCN Red List assessors used only two subspecific names: P. l. leo for African lion populations, and P. l. persica for the Asiatic lion population.
- IUCN list: Asiatic lion(Panthera leo leo)- Endangered & Panthera leo- Vulnerable.
Source: PIB
