India needs a second home for Asiatic lions, Pg7

Key Highlights:

• India's Asiatic lion population has grown to approximately 891, primarily concentrated in Gujarat's Gir Forest.
• Despite this success, the entire species remains vulnerable to extinction from a single catastrophic event due to its single-site concentration.
• The Supreme Court in 2013 directed the translocation of lions to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh to establish a second population.
• Gujarat has resisted this translocation for over a decade, creating a policy impasse.
• The 2018 Canine Distemper Virus outbreak in Gir highlighted the risks of disease spread in a concentrated population.

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Detailed Insights:

• The Wildlife Institute of India has consistently recommended a second, geographically separate population for Asiatic lions since the 1980s.
• The Supreme Court emphasized that conservation must be guided by ecological principles, not regional considerations, for the species' long-term survival.
• Kuno National Park was specifically prepared for lion translocation, including village relocation and habitat restoration, but no lions have been introduced.
• The concentration of lions in Gir makes them susceptible to rapid disease spread and impacts from environmental factors like droughts or wildfires.
• Conservation science advocates for a metapopulation approach to distribute species across multiple habitats and reduce overall risk.
• Project Lion (2020) aims to revive discussions on expanding lion habitats, though proposals like Barda Wildlife Sanctuary within Gujarat may not offer sufficient risk diversification.
• The delay reflects a tension between national conservation priorities, where Asiatic lions are a national heritage, and State-level political interests.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Metapopulation Approach: A conservation strategy involving a group of spatially separated populations of the same species which interact at some level.
• Conservation Security: Ensuring the long-term survival and resilience of a species against various threats, beyond just increasing numbers.
• National Heritage: A concept recognizing certain species or sites as having significant cultural, historical, or ecological value for the entire nation.