New Delhi: A total of 397 lions, including cubs, have died in Gujarat in a three-year period from 2019 to 2021, as stated by Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change in Parliament on Friday.

The Minister responded to a query in Rajya Sabha during the ongoing winter session of Parliament. The reply states:

As reported by the State, 397 lions including 182 cubs of 0-1 year have died in Gujarat from 2019-2021, and the details are as under: –

As reported by the State, 10.53% lions including 3.82% cubs have died due to unnatural reasons out of total deaths of lions in the last five years in Gujarat Funding assistance is provided under the ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats (CSS-IDWH) to the State of Gujarat for conservation of Asiatic lions, raising awareness on lion & other wildlife conservation, habitat management, protection, eco-development, human resource and infrastructure development, voluntary village relocation, as per sanctioned Annual Plan of Operation submitted by the State Government.

As reported by the State, the details of prey base estimation conducted by the Gujarat Forest Department in Gir Protected Area and reserved and un-reserved vidis of Gir during last five years are as under: –

The matter of translocation of lions from Gujarat to Madhya Pradesh is sub judice [Contempt Petition (Civil) 568 of 2022 in the Supreme Court]. DeshGujarat