Asiatic Lion: Spotlight Programme at Sasan Gir and 891 Count
Why in the news
The Union Environment Minister opened the Lion Species Spotlight Programme at Sasan Gir, a curtain-raiser for the IBCA Summit 2026 that put the Asiatic lion in the global conservation spotlight.
Key facts
- Panthera leo persica is the only wild lion population outside Africa and a keystone species of Saurashtra’s dry forests and grassy scrub.
- Count: 891 lions, a 32% rise over 2020 (16th estimation, May 2025).
- Natural home: Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary; range now spreads across the Greater Gir landscape, including Amreli, Bhavnagar and Somnath.
- Barda Wildlife Sanctuary is being readied as a dispersal site.
Protection status
| Instrument | Listing |
|---|---|
| Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 | Schedule-I, top protection |
| CITES | Appendix-I, no commercial international trade |
| IUCN Red List | Vulnerable |
| National programme | Project Lion, started 2020 |
Why a second home
Keeping every wild lion in one landscape leaves the species open to epidemics such as canine distemper, wildfires and inbreeding. A second viable group at Barda works as biological insurance.
About the Asiatic lion
- Distinctive longitudinal belly fold of skin.
- Somewhat smaller than the African lion, with a shorter mane that leaves the ears visible.
- Smaller prides; males are less social.
- Coat colour varies from ruddy-tawny through sandy to buff-grey, frequently silvery-tinged.
Related bodies and programmes
- Gir: in Junagadh and Gir Somnath districts; sanctuary set up in 1965, national park in 1975.
- Barda: in Devbhoomi Dwarka and Porbandar districts.
- Project Lion (2020): landscape-based approach covering habitat restoration, monitoring, livestock-conflict reduction and community roles, unlike the reserve-based Project Tiger of 1973.
- IBCA: launched by India in April 2023 for seven big cats – puma, jaguar, cheetah, snow leopard, leopard, lion and tiger; India anchors its Secretariat.
- CITES: 1973 treaty with three Appendices; Appendix-I bans commercial trade.
Exam angle
- Latest lion count and survey number: 891, 16th.
- Second dispersal home: Barda.
- Do not confuse Vulnerable (lion) with Critically Endangered.