Sasan Gir ( Junagadh, Gujarat ) named best protected area

Gir Sanctuary ( Junagadh, Gujarat )  has been recognized and awarded the best protected area by a Mumbai based wildlife magazine.

The awards were instituted in 2000, to recognize and draw national attention to the contribution of individuals working for the protection of wildlife and natural habitats in India.

This year, among various categories, Gir Sanctuary ( Junagadh, Gujarat ) was awarded for the best protected sanctuary. Chief conservator of forests R.L. Meena received the award on behalf of Gujarat. C.N. Pandey, the principal chief conservator of forests said: “The award was recognition of the conservation efforts of the state and especially the people of Saurashtra who have protected lions as their family. It was because of this convection that the population of lions increased to 411 according to the 2010 census.”

Officials said that talk of relocating Asiatic Lions from Gir ( Junagadh, Gujarat ) meet vehement protests from local maldharis. Despite the wild cats preying on nearly 6,000 domesticated animals in the forests, satellite areas and villages, locals consider the lions to be a part of their family.

Gir Forest ( Junagadh, Gujarat ) was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1965 with the main area declared a national park. Gradually, more lion habitats in adjoining regions were also declared sanctuaries and ultimately Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary ( Junagadh, Gujarat ) was created in 2007.

Several ecological studies were also conducted to identify problems and prepare a conservation project. This was followed by implementation of the Gir Lion Sanctuary project in 1973 to resettle maldharis.

Courtesy:- Times of India

Foreigners take lion’s share in Gir’s (Sasan Gir, Junagadh, Gujarat) festive season e-booking

Till Friday 500 tourists from Abroad made bookings, against 398 Indians

It is as if foreign nationals were waiting for the best chance to book their tryst with Asiatic lions. Even since online bookings began on October 3, over 900 booking have been done and of these 502 were foreign nationals or from overseas.

Officials said that of the 900 bookings till Friday evening, only 398 are for Indian nationals and of theses, over 60% are from outside Gujarat. Officials said that the maximum bookings from within the state were for November 4 to November 8 – New Year to Labh Pancham – when business establishments are closed.

Officials said the forest department had launched online booking service precisely in order to facilitate foreigners and those coming from outside Gujarat for a visit to Sasan Gir (Junagadh, Gujarat). The department has launched the online facility and also facilitated payment by credit or debit card for visits to the Gir Interpretation Zones at Sasan and Devaliya (Gujarat). The Sanctuary reopens on October 15.

Courtesy:- Times of India 

Of 92 lion deaths in last two years, 83 were natural

No incident of poaching: Government

A total of 92 lions have died in the last two years in Saurashtra region (Gujarat, India). Of these, 83 died natural deaths while the remaining nine died of accidental causes, like falling into open wells.

Minister of state forest and environmental Govind Patel told the House in a written reply to Lathi MLA Bhavku Unghad’s question. The government said that said that 46 lions each died in the year 2011 and 2012. The minister said that among the dead cats were 43 cubs, 20 males, while the rest were females.

The minister said that there was no incident of poaching in the any part of the state. He added that in 2011 five lions lost like in different kinds of incidents, while the number was four in 2012.

The death of 46 animals was normal as only 11 per cent of the animals are dying annually. The officer said that also there was a drop over the past few years in the number of accidental deaths. The forest department has begun a drive to cover up wells in and around Gir Forest (Gujarat, India). However, such incidents of death due to falling in a well were reported in the areas far away from the sanctuary.

The official added that of one looked at the figure more cubs have died recently. A study by Dr. V. Meena of the Wildlife Institute of India titled “Reproductive Strategy and Behavior of Male Asiatic Lions” revealed that survival rate of cubs was lowest in the first year of birth and gradually increases in second and third year, he added.

Courtesy: - Times Of India

Gir lioness baby – sits, feeds siblings

In display of Unusual Behavior, introduces cubs to meat early

There’s nothing like a sister’s love. A young lioness, baby sitting her three six – week - old step siblings when the mother is away hunting, has caught the eye of foresters in the Gir Sanctuary(Sasan Gir, Jamnagar, Gujarat, India) .

Experts say this is a rare sight in the wild – the three year old lioness not only watches over the cubs, but hunts for them as well.  Deputy Conservator of forests, Sandeep Kumar, who is documenting this unique behavior, says generally one and a half month old cubs are not exposed to flesh and blood. “They only survive on mother’s milk”, he says. “But in this case, we noticed that when the mother is not around, the sister not only takes care of the cubs but also gets them fresh meat and they seem to be doing well so far”.

Kumar adds that cubs first taste the meat when they are slightly older. “On a couple of occasions, the sister dragged the kill to the cubs and watched them eat,” he adds. To ensure that this premature weaning does not have any adverse effect, the foresters are regularly monitoring the health of the cubs.
 Even the mother has started hunting closer to home and bringing the kill to the cubs. She makes the kill before the cubs, but ensures that they are at a safe distance, which officials say may be a way of teaching them the first lesions of hunting.

Gujarat additional principal chief conservator of forests, H.S. Singh says, “Usually, the mother would not expose the cubs to blood before 12 weeks. At 12 weeks, they are given their first taste of blood and only after a while are they allowed to eat meat”.

“Lion cubs are nursed till about six months,” says Meena Venkatraman, who has a PhD in lion behavior from Wildlife Institute of India. “They may start to feed on tidbits of meat when the prides are feeding on a kill. This is usually around three months. However, tasting meat is not same as eating meat”.

Courtesy: - Times of India

Drying Gir(Guajrat, India) reservoirs brimming with birds

The receding water in the Kamleshwar dam(Sasan Gir, Gujarat, India) brought some good news for visitors and the officials at Gir National Park. The low levels of water are inviting large flocks of winged visitors. These migratory birds are returning to the dams in the national park after a decade, said the officials.
Sources in Gir said, “ This year because of the drought in the district, there is hardly two or three feet of water at the edges of the Kamleshwar Dam reservoir, and about four to five feet of water in the centre. This is attracting large number of birds from nearby water bodies. Pelicans, lesser flamingoes and cranes along with other migratory birds have started flocking to the dam site.”

Visitors to the forest along the Kamleshwar dam route will get to see these winged visitors and large number of crocodiles which are now coming out of the water as the water is very low”.

Sandeep Kumar, the deputy conservator of forests, Gir, says for the past two days, there have been good sightings of birds at the Kamleshwar dam. These birds sighting are for the first time in a decade. “I have been told by the staff that these birds have come to the Kamleshwar dam after a long time. There have been sightings of pelicans, lesser flamingoes among other. Demoiselle cranes are not usually seen in Gir, but this time because of the less water, availability of food had attracted the birds. This may be good news but what is worrying is that the receding water will force officials to resort to alternate methods of providing drinking water for the lions”.

Crocodile at Kamleshwar Dam, Sasan Gir, Gujarat, India

Samshad Alam, a researcher working in Gir for the past six years says, “I had not seen these birds here thus far, so it came as a surprise when saw them in large numbers. The dams have now caused of the shallow waters. These waders, pelicans, and flamingoes need just nearly two feet of water which, at present, is suitable for these birds.

Courtesy: – Times of India.

Asiatic Lion's at Gir National Park, India

Royal Sleep By Asiatic Lions at Sasan Gir, Junagadh, Gujarat, India

Courtesy:- Times Of India