For the Asiatic lion, Gir, in western India, is the only home—a protected area much reduced compared to their historical distribution, which once stretched from Mesopotamia to the Indian subcontinent. Overhunting and habitat loss were the primary culprits, and by the early 20th century, the lions in Gir themselves were facing an uncertain future.
However, post-independence, the Gujarat government really stepped up their efforts to save these majestic creatures. Notably, with the creation of the Gir Sanctuary in 1965 and the launch of Project Lion in 1972, things definitely took a turn for the better. In 2008, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) officially recognized the success of these efforts, reclassifying the lion from critically endangered to endangered. Recent counts put their numbers at 674.
The terrain here is anything but monotonous! We’ve got dry deciduous forests, grasslands, rugged hills, and not one, not two, but seven rivers (Hiran, Saraswati, and a few others with names that would surely test anyone’s pronunciation), supplemented by a network of dams.
This place is a wildlife paradise—no doubt about it—with over 630 plant species, leopards, marsh crocodiles, and a whole crew of reptiles including Indian pythons, Russell’s vipers, and even some star tortoises. And let’s not forget about the bustling avian community. Paradise flycatchers, Tickell’s blue flycatchers, black-napped monarchs, Indian pittas, white-browed fantails… The list goes on… But it’s the lion that makes Gir, Gir.
