116 lions died in 3 years in Gir, 108 natural deaths

As many as 116 lions have died in the last three years in Gir forest in Gujarat, the last home of the Asiatic lion, the state government said in the Assembly here today.

This information was given by the Minister for Forests and Environment Mangubhai Patel in a written reply to a question raised by Congress leader Arjun Modhvadia.

The minister has stated that as per the last census in 2005 there were 291 lions in the Gir forest.

In the year 2007, some 40 lions died, while 42 died in 2008. Thirty lions died in the year 2009, out of which one was killed by poachers.

According to the minister, four lions have died in the first two months of the current year.