changeadminGir National Park, located in Gujarat, is one of the most famous wildlife sanctuaries in India, primarily known for being the last refuge of the endangered Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica).
The park covers an area of approximately 1,412 square kilometres and is the only place in the world where Asiatic Lions can be found in the wild.
Gir is a biodiversity hotspot with a rich variety of flora and fauna. The park is home to over 2,000 species of plants, including teak, bamboo, and various medicinal herbs. Besides lions, Gir also houses leopards, sambar deer, chital, nilgai, wild boars, birds and reptiles.
Gir National Park has been highly successful in wildlife conservation over the years, especially with Asiatic lions, which has led to a steady increase in their population.
Asiatic Lion is categorised as ‘Endangered’ according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, upgraded from ‘Critically Endangered’ in 2008, mainly due to conservation efforts, resulting in an increase in their population over the years.
In the early 1990s, the Gujarat state government decided to work with more than 3 dozen villages around the Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary to get support for creating more space for the lion population to thrive. Rejuvenating and maintaining water bodies and soil moisture within the Gir landscape also ensured a reliable water supply for prey species and lions, especially during the dry season.
Over the years, the estimated population of Lions in the region has witnessed a continuous rise, from 411 individuals in 2010 to 523 individuals in 2015 and 674 individuals in 2020. These lions are distributed across nine districts, spanning nearly 30,000 sq km of Gujarat.
The conservation efforts received a further impetus through Project Lion, which envisages landscape ecology-based conservation of the Asiatic Lion in Gujarat by integrating conservation and eco-development. Besides habitat improvement, Project Lion also calls for integrated technologies, radiocollaring and camera traps, to protect the threatened species.
In August 2020, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Project Lion for the first time in his Independence Day Speech. Prime Minister Modi, who hails from Gujarat, has shared the government’s commitment to work for the long-term conservation of Asiatic lions in the country.
The financial assistance for the protection of Asiatic Lions has also increased in the last few years, from Rs 91.03 cr in 2021-22 to Rs 129.16 cr in 2022-23 and Rs 155.53 cr in 2023-24. In March 2025, the government approved over Rs 2,900 crore for Project Lion, focusing on the conservation of Asiatic lions and the creation of a National Referral Centre for Wildlife (NRC-W) in Gujarat.
The new facility in Junagadh’s New Pipaliya will strengthen wildlife disease surveillance, especially zoonotic diseases that could impact humans. The NRC-W will track emerging diseases, support wildlife health management, and offer professional training. This initiative is in response to an earlier health crisis, when in 2018 an epidemic in Gir caused 24 lion deaths, and the 2019 avian botulism outbreak that killed 18,000 migratory birds.
The Project Lion document titled ‘Lion @ 2047: Vision for Amrutkal,’ prepared by the Wildlife Institute of India, proposes securing and restoring lions’ habitats to manage their growing population, scaling up livelihood generation and participation of local communities.
In the document, it was noted to find a relocation site for the Asiatic lions within Gujarat and outside the state, considering that the species is vulnerable to extinction threats from epidemics because of low genetic diversity.
In 2023, a lion was relocated to Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, near Porbandar, about 100 km away from their present home at Gir National Park. However, experts believe the rising Lion population in India calls for an urgent development of more habitats.
Project Tiger
Project Tiger, an initiative for another big cat species, is being implemented in tiger landscapes across the country in 53 tiger reserves. This project not only protects the declining populations of tigers across the country but also elicits public support for the conservation of representative ecosystems and associated biodiversity in different biogeographic zones.
Project Tiger, launched in 1973, is regarded as one of the primary conservation initiatives that has contributed to India’s holding the highest tiger population in the world.
International Big Cat Alliance
Meanwhile, in April 2023, during an event ‘Commemorating 50 years of Project Tiger’, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), with the aim of conservation of seven big cats – Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar and Puma.
IBCA supports collaboration and synergy among stakeholders, consolidating successful conservation practices to achieve a common goal of conservation of big cats at the global level.
Earlier this month, five countries – Nicaragua, Eswatini, Somalia, Liberia and India signed the Framework Agreement to formally become members of the International Big Cat Alliance.
Wrapping Up
Projects for lions, tigers and the International Big Cat Alliance envisage activities which ensure the overall conservation of the entire ecosystem inhabited by these flagship species.
These wild animals play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity, where a loss of even a single species can trigger a chain reaction that can impact the entire ecosystem.
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