Travel
Have You Ever Seen the Asiatic Lion in the Wild? or Always in Captivity?
The endangered Asiatic lion roams free in India’s Gir National Park
If you answered no then head to the Gir National Park in Gujarat, India. The only place in the world where the royal Asiatic lion lives free in the wilderness. The park is near Somnath (50 km). The nearest train station is Junagarh (65 km) and Veraval (74 km). Both are well connected with the main cities of Gujarat like Ahmadabad and Rajkot.
Why Asiatic Lions are so important?
Asiatic lions (Panthera leo leo) have an important place in Indian mythology. They symbolize power and dominance. Goddess Durga is depicted riding a lion. Our national emblem has four lions standing back to back on an elaborate base that includes other animals. The emblem was adopted in 1950 from the “Lion Capital of Ashoka” (250 BCE). It is an endangered species.
Can you differentiate the Asiatic lion from African ones?
Asiatic lions are smaller with a short, sparse, and dark mane. The tassel at the end of its tail is bigger than African lions. The Asiatic male usually doesn’t live in pride.
Lions are at the risk of extinction. The Gir forest was under the rule of the Junagarh royal family during the British Raj. The royals and their guests used it as a hunting ground to show off their bravado. The hunted animals were used as a trophy with their heads or carcass used as decoration.
The main hall of the Junagarh royal palace is an animal museum. It has stuffed lions, tigers, leopards, and heads of wild buffaloes and antelopes.
Due to overhunting, few lions were left by the end of the 19th century. In 1901, Lord Curzon banned hunting after discussions with the Nawab of Junagarh. Since the turn of the 20th century, prohibition on hunting was expanded to the Gir forest national park and its surrounding areas.
Gir National Park covers an area of 1412 km2. Roughly a quarter of that forms the core area of the park. It comprises the largest compact tract of dry, deciduous forests in the semi-arid western part of India. It is made up of rugged ridges, isolated hills, plateaus, and valleys. It forms a unique habitat for many mammals (38 species), reptiles (37 species), and birds (300 species). More than 200 insect species along with a rich variety of flora are found in the forest. Gir forest is also home to wild ass, foxes, leopards, lions, blue bull, gazelle, brown fish owl, blackbuck, spotted deer, four-horned antelopes, skimmer, pelicans, vultures, pythons, and marsh reptiles.
A unique symbiotic relationship
Maldharies, a local tribe live in the vicinity of the forest for centuries. Their villages are 2–3 km on the outskirt of the park. With their population growth, the lions ventured to the villages in search of food. Often, they preyed on livestock. Villagers retaliated by poisoning or erecting an electric fence around their fields.
Efforts by the forest department, NGOs, and activists stopped the killings. Maldharies now understand that the lions are vital to keeping the jungle alive. They are compensated for lost livestock. Here humans and lions have formed a symbiotic relationship. In 2007, Cat Women, a unique team to protect the forest, was raised. It consists of trained tribal women who protect the lions. They keep an eye on the pride of lions along with other forest guards, by regular patrolling of up to 40 km per day. They rescue wounded animals, wandering cubs, and bring them to the rescue center. 25 lions/lionesses have been fitted with a radio collar to track their movements. The population of herbivores is also rising in the forest. This has resulted in an increase in the lion population from 451 (2010) to 528 (2015). In June 2020, an estimation exercise counted 674 lions in the Gir forest region, an increase of 29% over the 2015 census.
Do lions have a family? They are the only big cats that live in groups called pride. Pride is a family unit consisting of 2–3 males, several females, and their cubs. Usually, female cubs stay with the groups as they age. All females are related. Young males usually leave and may establish their pride by taking over the pride of other males. The Male defends the pride’s territory by marking it with urine. Animals entering the territory are chased out. Asiatic lions approach the female only for mating. Lionesses are the primary hunter and collaborate to hunt large mammals. The first feast goes to the head lioness followed by others. The cubs are at the bottom of the beneficiaries. Cubs become independent at the age of two years. Adolescent males leave their pride latest at the age of three years. Lions hunt alone and sometimes steal the prey of hyenas or wild dogs. A wandering male lion could mate a female-only after killing her cubs. The annual home range of male lion varies from 144 to 230 km2 and female 67–85 km2.
My trip to the Gir Forest
I went with my relatives on a ten days trip to Gujarat. We visited the mesmerizing Rann of Kutch, religious and historical places like Dwarika (land of Lord Krishna), Somnath Temple devoted to Lord Shiva. We then proceeded to Diu, a city long occupied by the Portuguese, followed by Gir, our final destination. We were thrilled to view the royal lion in its paradise.
Day 1
We left our hotel at Somnath and traveled 50 km to Gir. On the way, we passed through forest, narrow paths, dense bushes, and imagined a lion coming out. We reached the safari site by 10 AM. There, we explored the local market which was flooded with mango juice. The mango juices seemed to be local produce. It was not available at any other place in Gujarat.
Our resort, the Gir Lion Paw was in a huge mango farm, situated in the Gir National Park. Local folks warned us that lions often wander up to the hotel. The hotel was eco-friendly with minimal water or energy wastage. Waste management was also excellent. The room was spacious with a huge picture of a lion family and eco-friendly furniture. There was a lush green lawn, swimming pool, swings for children, and a duck house with a huge garden. The time slot allotted to us for the safari was 3:00–3.55 pm. We wanted to make the most of the 55 minutes ride. We reached the booking office before time and waited for our vehicle. A local guide accompanied our protected vehicle. The forest was 12 km from the office. We enjoyed the jeep ride as the guide narrated the stories of lions and humans living in proximity. The wind was cool and felt harsh on our faces in an open jeep but we enjoyed it. We passed narrow bumpy roads, small bridges on local rivers, and reached Devalia.
Devalia Safari Park: It is a part of the national park, separated by a fence. It covers a 412 Ha area, known as the interpretation zone. It has a double gate system to reduce the pressure of tourism on wildlife. It contains all habitat types and the wildlife of Gir. Lion safari guided tours are only allowed in protected vehicles.
There were several trails in Devalia. Each vehicle took a different route to avoid disturbing the wildlife. We saw sambhar, blue bull, spotted deer, four-horned antelopes, fox, jackal, leopards, and lions.
The forest had deciduous trees like Sal (Shorea robusta), Dhak (Butea fromdosa), and Teak. Dry grass camouflaged the animals. We spotted several deer herds. We were excited to see lionesses sleeping under a tree or resting. They were dusty brown or pale. We took several photographs and made videos in excitement. Further on the trail, we came across leopards. Some were sitting on the tree while others moved in the bushes. Our guide showed us a windmill driven water pump for filling artificial ponds. These ponds catered to the animals during the dry season. After enjoying our exciting jungle ride, we returned to the resort. There was a Christmas feast waiting for us. We relished a delicious continental dinner along with local cuisine and music next to a bonfire in the resort. The sky looked beautiful like a sheet studded with billions of twinkling stars.
Day 2
We left the national park after breakfast with fond memories of the nature trip.
Today, living under lockdown, these memories fill me with energy and joy. I hope that next year again, I will pack my bag and visit a new place.
