Gujarat's fully protected Gir National Park has just 22 Asiatic lions: It has no maldharis

By Rajiv Shah
Well-informed sources in Gujarat government have told Counterview that the latest lion census enumerators could find just 22 lions in Gir National Park, the no-man’s “fully protected” territory within the Gir forest area to “preserve” the rare species. Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel, while making an announcement of 523 lions in Gujarat, up from 411 in 2010, refused to give any breakup of the number of lions found in the National Park.
When contacted, former Gujarat’s chief wildlife warden GA Patel confirmed the existence of so few lions in the Gujarat National Park, saying, this is a matter of “serious concern” for India’s conservationists. “I have repeatedly drawn the attention of the state forest officials about the need to something urgently to stop dwindling of the number of lions in the Gir National Park”, he said, adding, “The result is now there for all to see.”
According to Patel, “The forests have gone very thick in the Gir National Park, which is of 258 sq km area out of a total of 1,412 sq km of the Gir forests. The forests are so thick here that even grass doesn’t grow here, as a result of which the herbivorous, which are the main prey of the lions, do not breed.” In his estimate, the territory of 258 sq km of the “fully protected” Gir National Park should ideally have between 60 and 70 lions.
Rest of the 1,153 sq km area is Gir sanctuary, which is not a no-man’s land. Here, mainly the local cattle breeders, maldharis, are still allowed to live in several villages, called neses. There have been frantic efforts in the recent past to unsettle the maldharis, who breed buffaloes, from the forests in the name of further “protect” the Gir forests for the lions.
The lion census, whose results were announced on Sunday, found that there was a very little rise in the number of Gir lions in the forest area (Sanctuary plus National Park) – from 297 in 2010 to 302 in 2015. The census found that 221 lions of a total of 523 lived outside the Gir forest, in a 22,000 sq km wide span – and of these, in the coastal areas of southern Saurashtra alone accounted for 167 lions as against 71 in 2010.
Patel, who is former member, National Wildlife Board, and has been a strong advocate of not allowing Asiatic lions to be shifted to Madhya Pradesh, further said, “A management plan on a pilot basis has been prepared for creating special territories of 50 hectares each in the Gir National Park and the Gir Sanctuary, where thickness of the forests would be reduced to allow grass to grow, attracting herbivorous, so that lions are attracted here.”
Submitted to the Supreme Court, Patel admitted the plan cannot be implemented “so easily” as the apex court wants the wood removed from the 50 hectare area each of the Gir National Park and the Sanctuary should not be put to commercial use, and handed over to the local people. “One has only to see how African lions survive: There are huge open spaces between forests, which is what the plan seeks to implement”, Patel adds.

Comments

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Manufacturing, services: India's low-skill, middle-skill labour remains underemployed

By Francis Kuriakose* The Indian economy was in a state of deceleration well before Covid-19 made its impact in early 2020. This can be inferred from the declining trends of four important macroeconomic variables that indicate the health of the economy in the last quarter of 2019.

Incarceration of Prof Saibaba 'revives' the question: What is crime, who is criminal?

By Kunal Pant* In 2016, a Supreme Court Judge asked the state of Maharashtra, “Do you want to extract a pound of flesh?” The statement was directed against the state for contesting the bail plea of Delhi University Professor GN Saibaba. Saibaba was arrested in 2014, a justification for which was to prevent him from committing what the police called “anti-national activities.”

Food security? Gujarat govt puts more than 5 lakh ration cards in the 'silent' category

By Pankti Jog* A new statistical report uploaded by the Gujarat government on the national food security portal shows that ensuring food security for the marginalized community is still not a priority of the state. The statistical report, uploaded on December 24, highlights many weaknesses in implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in state.

Why Indo-Pak relations have been on 'knife’s edge' , hostilities may remain for long

By Utkarsh Bajpai* The past few decades have seen strides being made in all aspects of life – from sticks and stones to weaponry. The extreme case of this phenomenon has been nuclear weapons. The menace caused by nuclear weapons in the past is unforgettable. Images of Hiroshima and Nagasaki from 1945 come to mind, after the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the cities.

Modi’s Israel visit strengthened Pakistan’s hand in US–Iran truce: Ex-Indian diplomat

By Jag Jivan M. K. Bhadrakumar , a career diplomat with three decades of service in postings across the former Soviet Union, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Germany, and Turkey, has warned that the current truce in the US–Iran war is “fragile and ridden with contradictions.” Writing in his blog India Punchline , Bhadrakumar argues that while Pakistan has emerged as a surprising broker of dialogue, the durability of the ceasefire remains uncertain.

Lata Mangeshkar, a Dalit from Devdasi family, 'refused to sing a song' about Ambedkar

By Pramod Ranjan* An artist is known and respected for her art. But she is equally, or even more so known and respected for her social concerns. An artist's social concerns or in other words, her worldview, give a direction and purpose to her art. History remembers only such artists whose social concerns are deep, reasoned and of durable importance. Lata Mangeshkar (28 September 1929 – 6 February 2022) was a celebrated playback singer of the Hindi film industry. She was the uncrowned queen of Indian music for over seven decades. Her popularity was unmatched. Her songs were heard and admired not only in India but also in Pakistan, Bangladesh and many other South Asian countries. In this article, we will focus on her social concerns. Lata lived for 92 long years. Music ran in her blood. Her father also belonged to the world of music. Her two sisters, Asha Bhonsle and Usha Mangeshkar, are well-known singers. Lata might have been born in Indore but the blood of a famous Devdasi family...

'Batteries now cheap enough for solar to meet India's 90% demand': Expert quotes Ember study

By A Representative Shankar Sharma, Power & Climate Policy Analyst, has urged India’s top policymakers to reconsider the financial and ecological implications of the country’s energy transition strategy in light of recent global developments. In a letter dated April 10, 2026, addressed to the Union Ministers of Finance, Power, New & Renewable Energy, Environment, Forest & Climate Change, and the Vice Chair of NITI Aayog, with a copy to the Prime Minister, Sharma highlighted concerns over India’s ambitious plans for coal gasification and the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR).

Labour unrest in Manesar trigger tensions: Recently enacted labour codes blamed

By A Representative A civil rights coalition has expressed concern over recent developments in the industrial hub of Manesar in Haryana, where a series of labour actions and police responses have drawn attention. A statement, released by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), said it stood in solidarity with workers in IMT Manesar and other parts of the country, while also alleging instances of police excess during ongoing unrest.

Search This Blog