Gir National Park Closed For Tourists This Monsoon

Gir National Park, the only home to Asiatic lions, will remain closed for tourists during the monsoon season owing to the breeding of wild cats and conservation efforts being undertaken at the sanctuary, forest officials said.

“Its (Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary) closing is being done to provide some privacy to wild animals like lions, leopards and birds like peacocks etc during their mating season as the four months of monsoon period are considered the best for their breeding season,” divisional forest officer, Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, Sandeep Kumar said.

The Gir sanctuary, located at Sasan in Junagadh district, Gujarat, India is only home to pure Asiatic lions and attracts a large number of Indian as well as foreign tourists.

“Since we supervise the conservation efforts, we want to prevent any disturbance in the conservation activities, which could also be caused by the tourists. So we close the sanctuary,” Kumar said, adding that the park would be closed from June 16 and will reopen only in October after the monsoon season is over.

As per the 2010 census, the total number of lions in Gir sanctuary has risen to 411 from 359 in 2005. With a total area of 1,412 sq km (about 258 sq km for the national park and 1153 sq km for the sanctuary), the park is considered as safe haven for the lions and other species.

“It is also a natural habitat for leopards and antelopes like sambar, spotted deer, blue bull, black buck, and wild boar, jackal, hyena, langoors, porcupine, bear and crocodiles and over 250 species of birds,” Kumar said.

The officer also added that the roads in the park are kachcha and get damaged during monsoon. They need to be repaired before allowing tourists to visit (the park) after its closure period is over, he said.

“Not only that we have to monitor the movement of wild animals during rains and in case of heavy rain in the area, we have to chalk out a rescue plan and taking them to safer places,” added Kumar.

In addition, if big cats fall sick, we have to make arrangements for their treatment and that is why the closure of the park during monsoon season is required, he said.

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Gir India Foresters In Odour Free Uniforms

After 40 years, foresters in Gujarat are set to get a image makeover as they will be provided with newly-designed odour-free uniforms and more ergonomically-fitted apparel kits.

The new attire, designed by the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), will first be introduced for the foresters manning the Gir National Park, the last abode of Asiatic Lions.

 

"A light khaki coloured uniform has been designed for the foresters which is odour-free due to an anti-microbial finish given to the garment for better comfort in summers," said Vishal Gupta, head of NIFT, Gandhinagar.

"The outfit comes with accessories like ankle guard for protection from snake bites, ruksack for keeping daily required utilities, besides suggestions for a pair of good trekking shoes," he said.

"The idea behind introducing new uniforms for rangers in Gir is to give a new look to our officers posted in a special area of the state," Principal Secretary, Forest and Environment, S K Nanda told PTI.

"The uniforms are part of a special package for them. It is expected to be introduced within a month or two," he said.

Earlier, foresters used to get uniforms as per the state government resolution (GR) on dress code of the forest department officials dating back to 1970, which is now likely to be amended.

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Asiatic Lions For Mysore Zoo

A pair of lions from Junagadh's Sakkarbaug Zoo will be given to Mysore Zoo in exchange for other animals, said forest department officials, adding that all technical and administrative formalities in this regard have been completed. The exchange, to take place soon, between the two zoos comes in the wake of a request made in this connection a few months ago to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi by legendary leg-spinner Anil Kumble.

According to V J Rana, director of forest department-managed Sakkarbaug Zoo, a pair of  Asiatic lions will be given to Mysore Zoo in exchange for birds and some mammals. "Mysore Zoo will give us Indian bison, common marmoset, giant squirrel, Lady Amhrest pheasant, Kalij pheasant and green pheasant. The exchange of the animal and bird species will take place in the last week of January 2011," Rana said.

"A new facility to accommodate the birds and the mammal is being made at the zoo. They will be on public display from February 2011," he added. Zoo officials said, till now about 170 lions have been given to other zoos in India and abroad as part of exchange programmes.

The Sakkarbaug Zoo has over 1,000 different species of animals including a cheetah, which was brought from Singapore in exchange for an Asiatic lion. There are four cheetahs in the zoo, of which two are males and two females.

50 Lionesses In The Gir Sanctuary Are Pregnant Expecting Cubs

The pride is set to grow; 50 lionesses in the Gir India sanctuary are pregnant and are expected to give birth early next year. The development has thrilled the state forest department, which has started monitoring these wild cats through GPS and has asked beat guards to be extra vigilant.

According to a census conducted earlier this year, there are 411 Asiatic lions in Gir, the last natural abode of such cats in the world. In 2005, when the previous count was held, this figure was 359.

“We are very happy that 50 lionesses are pregnant. Our efforts to limit the movement of vehicles during the mating period of lions have yielded results,” Principal Secretary to the Forest Department S K Nanda told Mirror. Restrictions on vehicular movement in and around the sanctuary would continue to be in place, he said.

“Vehicles will not be allowed to enter the gir forest. Outside the sanctuary, speed limits have been introduced,” Nanda said.

“During pregnancy, lionesses move slowly. We are tracking their movements through GPS. Beat guards are also keeping a watch.”

Expectant cats are likely to give birth in January and February. The survival rate of cubs, which are often killed by lions looking to mate with their partners again, is low.

However, this time forest officials feel more cubs will survive because for the past one year elder lionesses have been looking after young members of the pride.

“We have seen that old females protect cubs from adult males. In fact, the number of attacks on cubs by adult males has come down,” a Gir official said. The population of adult Asiatic lionesses in Gir is more than that of adult males. There are 162 adult females and 97 adult males.

This year’s census revealed that there are 77 cubs. Nearly 40 per cent of the lion population is young and this bodes well for the Asiatic beast’s future.

Last year, the state government announced a special package of Rs 40 crore for the region. Forest officials were provided more staff and better equipment to prevent unnatural deaths of the wild cats.

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Gir Wildlife Sanctuary Roads To Be Closed During Nights

Entry of vehicles in transit through the streets Gir National Park, the last place of residence and Asiatic lions, it is forbidden at night, a move that will help protect the wildlife area. To move the Gujarat Forest Department to provide relief from much-needed wild Gir about 10 main roads through the sanctuary. This step reduces the risk of animals belonging to the wheels of vehicles and save them from noise.

The Forest Department took this step to ensure the safety of lions and other animals in the wildlife reserve. Previously, some cases of injury to animals have been reported due to traffic accidents in the Gir forest area, Principal Secretary, Forests and Environment SK Nanda said.

"This season is coming the new lion cubs at the moment and it is very important that they receive at least one night in peace"

"Only in case of emergency, allowing the movement of vehicles of forest protected areas at night"

As the latest study by the State Department of Forests in 2010, already has a population of 411 Asiatic lions in addition to other Lions.

The protected area within the sanctuary is about 900 square kilometers, but the lions are also commonly found roaming the nearby villages of Gir India.

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Gir India Braces For A Lion’s Share Of Tourists

With record-breaking influx of tourists at Sasan, the only home to Asiatic Lions at Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, the Junagadh district administration has for the first time stepped in to contain commercial exploitation of tourists by hotels and restaurants at a time when the state government is showcasing Gir as the tourism hotspot in Gujarat.

The local administration claimed that Khusboo Gujarat Ki campaign, a series of tourism advertisements featuring Amitabh Bachchan, has been a success. As a result, the number of tourists at Sasan this Diwali has gone up almost two-fold than the previous years. Some 20 hotels and resorts in the area have been booked full to their capacity till mid-November.

The forest department too has been on its toes as it has doubled the permit quota per day for the GWS to accommodate heavy tourist rush.

“The result of advertisement campaign is there to see for us in the first season itself. Sasan has been flooded with tourists like never before,” said local mamlatdar Rekhaba Servaiya, adding that “the same administration has stepped up vigil to prevent exploitation of tourists”.