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Asiatic Lion Population (2024)
2025 Lion census shows 32% population rise: Why Asiatic lion’s future can’t be secured by numbers alone
Context: Gujarat has recorded a significant milestone in wildlife conservation: the latest population estimation reveals that the state is now home to 891 Asiatic lions, marking a 32% increase since the last count in 2020.
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- Alongside this population growth, lions have expanded their territorial range by 17%, from 30,000 to 35,000 sq km, now spread across 58 talukas in 11 districts, up from 53 talukas five years ago.
- Announcing the numbers on May 21, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel proudly attributed the growth to not only the favourable geographic and climatic conditions of the Saurashtra region but also to the state government’s consistent and dedicated conservation efforts.
The Lion’s Journey: From Near Extinction to Recovery
- The journey of the Asiatic lion is a remarkable one. From a population of less than 200 in the 1960s, restricted to their last stronghold in the Gir forest, the lions have made a slow but steady comeback.
- In 1995, their population crossed the 300-mark, coinciding with their movement beyond protected forest boundaries.
- Between 1990 and 2005, the lion’s habitat range doubled from 6,600 sq km to 13,000 sq km, but the population grew only modestly by 26%, from 284 to 359. In contrast, between 2005 and 2020, the range doubled again to 30,000 sq km, and the lion population increased by 88%, from 359 to 674.
- The latest estimation continues this upward trajectory and is only the second time since the 2015 census that population growth has outpaced range expansion — a rare occurrence in scientific wildlife tracking.
About Asiatic Lion
- The Asiatic lion, scientifically known as Panthera leo persica, is a subspecies of lion that is currently found only in India, primarily in the Gir Forest National Park of Gujarat.
- Size: Males typically weigh between 160-190 kg and measure 1.7-2.5 metres in length, while females weigh 110-120 kg and measure 1.4-1.75 meters46.
- Distinct Features: Asiatic lions are slightly smaller than their African counterparts and have a less developed mane. They exhibit a fold of skin along their bellies, which is a distinguishing feature.
- Key Facts:
- Location: The Asiatic lion’s habitat is restricted to the Gir National Park and surrounding areas in Gujarat, covering approximately 1,452 square kilometres. This includes several protected areas like Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, Pania Sanctuary, and Mitiyala Sanctuary.
- Social Structure: These lions are polygynous; males may mate with multiple females throughout the year. Lionesses typically give birth to 1-6 cubs after a gestation period of about 100 to 119 days.
- Expansion into New Territories: In the past five years, lions have naturally colonised three new areas: Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, Jetpur, and Babra-Jasdan.
- This expansion strengthens the species’ recovery trend and supports the IUCN’s 2008 reclassification of the Asiatic lion from “Critically Endangered” to “Endangered.”
- However, the data also shows that the rate of population growth hasn’t kept pace with the rate of range expansion. Since 1990, the lion’s range has increased by 430%, but the population has grown by only 214%.
The Habitat Challenge
- The main reason for this mismatch lies in the limited availability of protected wilderness areas in the Saurashtra peninsula.
- Aside from Gir National Park, only a few small sanctuaries — Pania, Girnar, Mitiyala, and the newly colonised Barda — support lion populations.
- As these protected areas near their ecological carrying capacity, lions have ventured into wastelands, farmlands, and agri-plantations, often interspersed with forest patches.
- Government records show that only 56% of the 891 lions currently live in forested areas.
- In 2020, lion population density was 15.2 per 100 sq km in forests but dropped dramatically to just 1.65 in non-forested zones, where survival is harder.
Major Concerns
- Human-Wildlife Interface Issues: Lions often live close to human settlements, leading to Retaliatory killings (electrocution, drowning, shooting), Aggressive behaviour and unprovoked attacks.
- Despite dangers, lions enjoy cultural tolerance in Gujarat — seen as symbols of pride. Lions have become habituated to humans due to frequent medical care, rescues, and management.
- Social Carrying Capacity & Disease Risk: Human-lion interactions risk breaching social tolerance.
- Coexistence requires: Time/space sharing (e.g., farmers working by day, lions roaming at night).
- Lions often feed on livestock carcasses, raising the risk of: Disease spread, and Interaction with feral dogs.
The Long-Delayed Relocation Plan
- The Supreme Court of India, in 2013, ordered the relocation of some lions to Madhya Pradesh within six months to create a second population in case of a disease outbreak or other disaster in Gujarat. That order remains unimplemented, more than a decade later.
- In 2020, Project Lion identified seven potential relocation sites — three each in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. But by July 2022, the central government informed the Lok Sabha that it would assess only potential sites within Gujarat.
- Interestingly, lions have naturally reached one of those sites — the Barda Wildlife Sanctuary — but its small size (less than 200 sq km) limits its capacity to host a substantial population.
What the Future Demands?
- As discussions swirl around the ambitious goal of doubling the lion population to 2,000, conservationists emphasise that this target is unrealistic without serious habitat expansion.
- Without sufficient protected, forested space away from human settlements, the risks of conflict, disease outbreaks, and management strain will only grow.
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