2025 Census: Asiatic Lion Count Rises by 214% Since 1990 in Gujarat

Gujarat's remarkable success in conserving the endangered Asiatic lion has created a new challenge for wildlife authorities as the growing population of big cats increasingly ventures beyond protected forests into villages, farms, grasslands and coastal areas. While the state's conservation efforts have helped the species recover significantly over the past three decades, the expanding lion population has resulted in more frequent encounters with people, livestock and human settlements across the Greater Gir landscape. Officials are now balancing the twin objectives of protecting one of the world's rarest big cats while ensuring the safety of local communities living alongside them.

A series of recent incidents has heightened concerns over human-lion conflict in the region. In March, a five-year-old boy was killed after being attacked by a lioness in Amreli district. In June, a 29-year-old restaurant employee was fatally mauled by a pride of lions in the same district. During July alone, a cattle herder in Bhavnagar survived after being pinned down by an Asiatic lion for nearly 30 minutes before being rescued, while a 21-year-old man died after entering a forest illegally for lion watching in Amreli. On July 11, a 12-year-old boy was also killed in a lion attack near the Ambaji Temple in Junagadh district. Residents say such encounters have become increasingly common, prompting villages to strengthen night patrols, install surveillance cameras and restrict outdoor movement after dark.

According to the 16th Asiatic Lion Population Estimation conducted in 2025, Gujarat is now home to 891 Asiatic lions, representing a 214 per cent increase compared to 1990. The species has expanded its range by around 430 per cent and now occupies five protected areas, including Gir National Park, Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, Paniya Sanctuary, Mitiyala Sanctuary and Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary. Wildlife experts believe the issue is no longer a shortage of forest habitat alone but also changing behavioural patterns, with increasing human interference during critical breeding periods, illegal wildlife tourism and disturbances from unauthorised lion-watching activities contributing to rising conflict.

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To address the situation, the Gujarat Forest Department has introduced a technology-driven management strategy combining conservation, enforcement and public awareness. Forest Minister Arjun Modhwadia said authorities have adopted a policy of zero tolerance against anyone who harasses lions or disrupts their natural behaviour. Measures include radio-collaring, radio-tagging, thermal drone surveillance, camera monitoring, wildlife check posts, territory mapping and community awareness programmes. Local residents are being trained on appropriate behaviour during lion encounters, while officials continue to stress that lions generally avoid attacking humans unless provoked or threatened.

The government has also intensified action against illegal wildlife tourism and activities that attract lions for entertainment or social media content. Authorities have halted approvals for new commercial hotels and resorts in the Greater Gir region and launched enforcement drives against unauthorised homestays hosting illegal lion shows, night safaris and late-night gatherings. A Special Investigation Team has been monitoring online platforms for videos showing people chasing lions with vehicles or using bright lights to provoke the animals. Offenders are being booked under stringent provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, with arrests, seizure of vehicles and electronic devices, and forensic examination of digital evidence forming part of the crackdown.

Despite the growing challenges, Gujarat remains the world's only natural home of the Asiatic lion, making the state's conservation programme globally significant. The 2025 census found that nearly 44 per cent of the lion population now lives outside designated forest areas, establishing territories in agricultural fields, plantations, river corridors and coastal landscapes. Amreli district alone hosts 339 lions, followed by Gir Somnath with 222 and Junagadh with 191. Authorities say the long-term objective is to preserve this conservation success while reducing conflict through scientific research, stronger habitat management, community participation and strict enforcement against activities that endanger both people and wildlife.

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