New Delhi: Protection and management of wildlife and its habitats is primarily the responsibility of the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations. However, the Central Government has launched ‘Project Lion’ which envisages landscape ecology-based conservation of the Asiatic lion in Gujarat by integrating conservation and eco-development, the Union government said today.

The objectives of Project Lion are:

1. To secure and restore lions’ habitats for managing its growing population.
2. Scale up livelihood generation and participation of local communities.
3. Become a global hub of knowledge on big cat disease diagnostics and treatment.
4. Inclusive biodiversity conservation through Project Lion initiative.

Further, a ‘National Referral Center- Wildlife’ is under establishment at Junagadh, Gujarat which will function as the hub for coordination and governance of various aspects related to wildlife health and disease management.

Also, the State Government of Gujarat has taken the following measures for rehabilitation of Asiatic lions in case of a major disaster:

• Gene pool centers have been established at Rampara, Morbi district and Satvirda, Porbandar district of Gujarat.
• Barda Wildlife Sanctuary has been developed as a second habitat of Asiatic Lion.
• Rescue and veterinary treatment centers have been established at different regions of Gujarat such as Jasadhar, Jamwala, Simar, Ambardi, Krankach, Zanzarda, Babarkot, Gebar and Sasan.
• Various activities like habitat management, disease surveillance, veterinary care, ICT-based tracking systems and eco-development have been taken up for conservation of Asiatic Lion.

This information was provided by Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh, in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today. DeshGujarat