The Gir Forest
National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary (also known as Sasan-Gir, is a
forest and wildlife sanctuary in the state of Gujarat, India.
Established in 1965, with a total area of 1412 km² (about 258
km² for the fully protected area (the national park) and 1153
km² for the Sanctuary), the park is located 43 km in the
north-east from Somnath, 65 km to the south-east of Junagadh and 60
km to south west of Amreli.
It is the sole home
of the Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) and is
considered to be one of the most important protected areas in Asia
due to its supported species. The ecosystem of Gir, with its
diverse flora and fauna, is protected as a result of the efforts of
the government forest department, wildlife activists and NGOs. The
forest area of Gir and its lions were declared as "protected" in
the early 1900s by the Nawab of the princely state of Junagadh.
This initiative assisted in the conservation of the lions whose
population had plummeted to only 15 through slaughter for trophy
hunting.
The April 2010
census recorded the lion-count in Gir at 411, an increase of 52
compared to 2005. The lion breeding programme covering the park and
surrounding area has bred about 180 lions in captivity since
its inception.
The Gir Forests have
been inhabited by semi-nomadic pastoral communities
called Maldharis for the past one and a half centuries.
Their religion is Hinduism and they have strong ethics and
sentiments towards nature and natural resources. They are primarily
vegetarian and keep livestock for sale of dairy products. Due to
their long history of living with lions that often predate on their
livestock, it is important for the management of lions to
understand the underlying mechanisms that permit
coexistence.
