| Gir National Park | |
|---|---|
 Family ofAsiatic lions at Gir National Park | |
 Location map | |
 Interactive map of Gir National Park | |
| Location | Junagadh,Gir Somnath andAmreli Districts, Gujarat, India |
| Nearest city | Talala (Gir),Veraval |
| Coordinates | 21°08′08″N70°47′48″E / 21.13556°N 70.79667°E /21.13556; 70.79667 |
| Area | 1,410.30 km2 (544.52 sq mi) |
| Established | 1965 |
| Visitors | 60,148 (in 2004) |
| Governing body | Forests & Environment Department |
Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, also known asSasan Gir, is a forest,national park, andwildlife sanctuary nearTalala Gir inGujarat, India. It is located 43 km (27 mi) north-east ofVeraval, 65 km (40 mi) south-east ofJunagadh and 60 km (37 mi) south-west ofAmreli. It was established in 1965 in the erstwhileNawab of Junagarh's private hunting area, with a total area of 1,410.30 km2 (544.52 sq mi), of which 258.71 km2 (99.89 sq mi) is fully protected as a national park and 1,151.59 km2 (444.63 sq mi) as wildlife sanctuary.[1] It is part of theKhathiar-Gir dry deciduous forestsecoregion.[2][3]
The 14th Asiatic Lion Census 2015 was conducted in May 2015. In 2015, the population was 523 (27% up compared to previous census in 2010). The population was 411 in 2010 and 359 in 2005. The lion population inJunagadh District was 268 individuals, 44 in Gir Somnath District, 174 in Amreli District, and 37 inBhavnagar district. There are 109 males, 201 females and 213 cubs.[4]
Gir National Park is closed from 16 June to 15 October every year, throughout the monsoon season.[5]
In the 19th century, the rulers ofIndian princely states used to invite theBritish colonists for hunting expeditions. At the end of the 19th century, only about a dozenAsiatic lions were left in India, all of them in the Gir Forest, which was part of theNawab of Junagarh's private hunting grounds. British viceroys brought the drastic decline of the lion population in Gir to the attention of the Nawab of Junagadh, who established the sanctuary. Today, it is the only area inAsia where Asiatic lions occur and is considered one of the most importantprotected areas in Asia because of its biodiversity. The Girecosystem with its diverseflora andfauna is protected as a result of the efforts of the government forest department, wildlife activists and NGOs.[citation needed]
The seven majorperennial rivers of the Gir region areHiran,Shetrunji, Dhatarvadi, Shingoda,Machhundri, Ambajal andRaval Rivers. The four reservoirs of the area are at four dams, one each on Hiran, Machhundri, Raval and Shingoda rivers, including the biggest reservoir in the area, theKamleshwar Dam, dubbed 'the lifeline of Gir'.[citation needed]
More than 400 plant species were recorded in the survey of Gir forest bySamtapau & Raizada in 1955. Thebotany department ofM.S. University of Baroda has revised the count to 507 during their survey. According to the 1964 forest type classification byChampion & Sheth, the Gir forest falls under "5A/C-1a—very dry teak forest" classification.Teak occurs mixed with drydeciduous species. The degradation stages (DS) sub-types are thus derived as:
Teak bearing areas are mainly in the eastern portion of the forest, which constitutes nearly half of the total area. Several species ofacacia trees are found. Also found here are ber, jamun (Syzygium cumini), babul (acacia), flame of the forest,zizyphus,tendu and dhak. Also plants like karanj, umlo, amli, sirus, kalam, charal and an occasional Vad (banyan tree) are found. Thesebroadleaf trees provide cool shade and moisture content to the region. As part of theafforestation programme,casuarina andprosopis have been planted along the borders of the Gir forest.
The forest is an importantbiological research area with considerablescientific, educational,aesthetic andrecreational values. It provides nearly 5 million kilograms of greengrass by annualharvesting, which is valued approximately at₹ 500 million (US$7.12 million). The forest provides nearly 123,000metric tons worth offuel wood annually.
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The count of 2,375 distinctfauna species of Gir includes about 38 species ofmammals, around 300 species of birds, 37 species ofreptiles and more than 2,000 species ofinsects.[1]
Thecarnivores group mainly comprises theAsiatic lion,Indian leopard,jungle cat,striped hyena,golden jackal,Bengal fox,[6]Indian gray mongoose,ruddy mongoose, andhoney badger.Asiatic wildcat andrusty-spotted cat occur, but are rarely seen.[1]
The mainherbivores of Gir arechital,nilgai,sambar,four-horned antelope,chinkara andwild boar.Blackbucks from the surrounding area are sometimes seen in the sanctuary.[1]
Thereptiles are represented by themugger crocodile,[7]Indian cobra,tortoise andmonitor lizard which inhabit the sanctuary's bodies of water. Snakes are found in the bush and forest.Pythons are sighted at times along the stream banks. Gir has been used by the Gujarat State Forest Department which formed the Indian Crocodile Conservation Project in 1977 and released close to 1,000mugger crocodile into Lake Kamaleshwar and other small bodies of water in and around Gir.[citation needed]Birds comprise more than 300 species, most of which are resident. Thescavenger group of birds has six recorded species ofvultures. Some of the typical species of Gir includecrested serpent eagle,Bonelli's eagle,changeable hawk-eagle,brown fish owl,Indian eagle-owl,rock bush-quail,Indian peafowl,brown-capped pygmy woodpecker,black-headed oriole,crested treeswift andIndian pitta..[1]
TheAsiatic lion's habitat is dry scrub land and opendeciduous forest. The lion population increased from 411 individuals in 2010 to 674 in 2020, and all of them live in or around Gir National Park.[8]
In 1900 it was estimated that the population was as low as 100, and the Asiatic lion was declared a protected species. A census in 1936 recorded 289 animals. The first modern-day count of lions was done byMark Alexander Wynter-Blyth, the principal ofRajkumar College, Rajkot andR.S. Dharmakumarsinhji sometime between 1948 and 1963;[9]
Even though the Gir Forest is well protected, there are instances of Asiatic lions beingpoached. They have also been poisoned in retaliation for attacking livestock. Some of the other threats include floods, fires and the possibility ofepidemics and natural calamities. Gir nonetheless remains the most promising long-term preserve for them.[9]
During a prolongeddrought from 1899 to 1901, lions attacked livestock and people beyond the Gir Forest. After 1904, the rulers of Junagadh compensated livestock losses. Today, the lions in Gir National Park rarely attack people.[10]
| Year | Count | Male:Female:Cubs |
| 1968 | 177 | - |
| 1974 | 180 | - |
| 1979 | 261 | 76:100:100 |
| 1984 | 252 | 88:100:64 |
| 1990 | 249 | 82:100:67 |
| 1995 | 265 | 94:100:71 |
| 2000 | 327 | 99:115:76 |
| 2005 | 359 | - |
| 2010 | 411 | 97:162:152 |
| 2015 | 523 | 109:201:213 |
| 2020 | 674 | 277:260:137 |
The Lion Breeding Programme creates and maintains breeding centres. It also carries out studies of the behaviour of the Asiatic lions and also practicesartificial insemination.[11] One such centre has been established in theSakkarbaug Zoo at the district headquarters ofJunagadh, which has successfully bred about 180 lions. A total of 126 pure Asiatic lions have been given to zoos in India and abroad.[12]Thecensus of lions takes place every five years. Previously indirect methods like usingpugmarks of the lion were adopted for the count. However, during the census of April 2005 (which originally was scheduled for 2006, but was advanced following the reports and controversy over vanishing tigers in India), "Block-Direct-Total Count" method was employed with the help of around 1,000 forest officials, experts and volunteers.[9] It means that only those lions were counted that were "spotted" visually. Use of "livebait" (a prey that is alive and used as a bait) for the exercise, though thought to be a traditional practice, was not used this time. The reason believed to be behind this is theGujarat High Court ruling of 2000 against such a use of animals.
During the 2010 census 'The Cat Women of Gir Forest' counted more than 411 lions in the park, and 523 in 2015. The women who do the counting are from traditional tribes in neighbouring villages.[13]
Gir National Park and Sanctuary faces a number of threats to its ecosystem. Natural threats include recurrent drought, cyclones, and forest fires.[14] Anthropogenic threats include over-grazing,[15] encroachment, excessive traffic and resultant weed infestation.[14][16] Tourism contributes to thisenvironmental degradation, as does the mining carried out in the periphery. Pollution results from the railway lines that run through the peripheral zone.[14] The narrowgenetic base in the large mammals is also an issue of growing concern.[14][17]
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Gir National Park travel guide from Wikivoyage| International | |
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| Other | |
