“Lion @ 47: Vision for Amrutkal” document prepared by MoEFCC

“Lion @ 47: Vision for Amrutkal” document prepared by MoEFCC

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has prepared Project Lion document titles “Lion @47 : Vision for Amrutkal” recently. In an effort to preserve Asiatic Lion, this project is being implemented in its last refuge : the Girl landscape in Gujarat. It envisaged landscape ecology based conservation of Asiatic lion by integrating conservation and eco-development

Objectives of Project Lion

• to secure and restore lion’s habitat in order to manage growing population of lions
• to scale up livelihood generation and participation of local communities
• make India a global hub of knowledge for diagnosing and treating big cat diseases
• create an inclusive approach to biodiversity conservation

About Asiatic Lion

• Scientific name : Panthera leo persia
• IUCN Status : Endangered species
• Cites status : Appendix I
• Wildlife Conservation Act 1972 – Schedule I
• Threat to species : habitat fragmentation, poaching, genetic inbreeding arising from a single population in one place
• It is slightly smaller than African lions

The Government of Gujarat is also receiving funding from Centre under “Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitat” to protect Asiatic lion in Gir wildlife sanctuary.

Integrated development of Wildlife Habitats (IDWH)

IDWH is a centrally sponsored scheme in which financial assistance is provided to State Governments for protection and conservation of wildlife and its habitats in Protected Areas as well as areas outside Protected Areas. It also includes running recovery programme for saving critically endangered species and its habitat.