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World Lion Day

Posted on August 11, 2021 by admin1  623

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Every year on the 10th of August World Lion Day is celebrated annually throughout the world to raise awareness about the conservation of lions. 

About World Lion Day

  • History:
    • The day has been celebrated across the world since 2013. The day was co-founded by Dereck and Beverly Joubert of the Big Cat Initiative and National Geographic in a partnership.
  • Major objectives:
    • To raise awareness about the plight of the lion & other issues that the species faces in the wild
    • To find ways to protect its natural habitat and for creating more such habitats like national parks
    • To educate people who live near wild cats on the dangers and how to protect themselves. 

About Lions

  • Scientific name: Lions, one of the largest animal species on earth are scientifically named ‘Panthera Leo’.
  • Historical Significance: They have an illustrious place in India’s history and culture, with their earliest known references found in the pillars of the Mauryan empire. The Indian national emblem is adorned by the majestic lion on all four sides.
  • IUCN Status: vulnerable 
    • Asiatic Lion: Endangered
  • Role in the animal kingdom: Lions hold an indispensable place in the ecosystem, they are an apex predator of their habitat, responsible for checking the population of grazers, thus helping in maintaining the ecological balance.
  • Threats: Trophy hunting and  Loss of natural habitat

Status of Lion in India

  • According to the data from 2020, there are 674 lions in India, which were 523 in 2015.
  • India is home to the majestic Asiatic Lion, which inhabits the protected territory of Sasan-Gir National Park (Gujarat).

 

Conservation Efforts Taken

  • Project Lion: It was announced in August 2020 and modelled on Project Tiger and Project Elephant.
    • Six new sites apart from the Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary (Madhya Pradesh) have been identified under this.
    • It has been launched for the conservation of the Asiatic Lion, whose last remaining wild population is in Gujarat’s Asiatic Lion Landscape (ALL). 

Image Courtesy: TOI

  • Asiatic Lion Conservation Project: It was launched by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC). It was approved for three financial years from 2018 to 2021.
    • This project has a “Species Conservation over a large landscape” approach.
    • Besides this approach, the Greater Gir Region(GGR) is being divided into various zones and management approaches of “Zone Plans and Theme Plans” for the conservation of the Asiatic Lion. “Zone Plans” include the Core Zone, the Sanctuary Zone, the Buffer Zone.
  • The lion census is conducted once every five years.

Asiatic Lion

  • Asiatic lions (Scientific Name: Panthera leo persica) are slightly smaller than African lions and males have only moderate mane growth at the top of the head so that their ears are always visible. They are slightly smaller than African lions.
  • The most striking morphological character is a longitudinal fold of skin running along the belly of Asiatic Lions.
  • Asiatic Lions are listed as ‘Endangered’ under the IUCN Red List and its population is restricted to the state of Gujarat in India.
  • They have been also put under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972: Schedule 1 and CITES Appendix I. 
  • Recently, the Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh was identified to be the most suitable for reintroducing the species so as to save the species in case any catastrophe hits the Gir Range, the only adobe of lions. 

Source: HT

 
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