In 2020, the state forest department estimated that about 400 lions live in the Gir forest of Gujarat, the only natural habitat of the Asiatic lion. There are about 275 lions in the rest of the state, of which 104 are scattered across the 300 km coast of Gujarat.
Conservationists say the unusual movement is happening because the natural habitat of lions has become overcrowded.
says Nesheth Darya, a wildlife researcher at BBC to me
They were forced to go to the beach
Lions were once widespread in Gujarat, but their numbers dwindled to only a dozen in the early twentieth century, mainly due to hunting and drought.
Since then, thanks to conservation efforts, its population in dry deciduous giri forests has increased. However, many experts have been saying this for years
Gir’s Shelter has become too small for territorial animals.
According to forest officials, lions migrated to coastal areas in the 1990s due to territorial wars. The lion usually needs an area of \u200b\u200babout 100 square kilometers, and in this area three or four females live with their cubs. The lions reach the coastal areas because they follow the Hiran River which runs through the Gir Forest and meets the Arabian Sea in the Somnath region.
They live in coexistence with the people of the farm
This means that people who have beach farms are used to seeing lions on the beach on a regular basis. Off the shore in Ferraval there is now a thin strip of gum arabic trees around which a flock has settled because it provides them with a habitat somewhat similar to the Gir Forest. If they do not find prey, they go to nearby villages and kill goats and cows.
Farmers have already learned to live with lions with care and respect. It helps that the lions haven’t attacked anyone in the area yet. Gujarati lions have adapted to changing habitats by adapting to conditions, says wildlife expert Rajan Joshi. According to him, in Gir they used to live near people and later in open fields as their numbers increased.
