Gujarat’s Coastal Asiatic Lions Thrive on Wild Prey, New Study Challenges Livestock Dependence Assumption

Gandhinagar: Ask anyone why Asiatic lions have expanded beyond the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary and are now roaming freely across Gujarat’s coastal landscape, and the most common answer is that they are drawn by the abundance of domestic cattle. However, a new scientific study challenges this long-held belief, revealing that Asiatic lions inhabiting Gujarat’s coastal belt rely predominantly on wild prey rather than livestock. The findings overturn the widely held assumption that lions living outside protected forests depend mainly on domestic livestock for their survival.

Gujarat is now home to 891 Asiatic lions, as per the findings of the 16th Lion Population Estimation held in 2025.

The research, published in the international peer-reviewed journal Conservation, found that nearly 70 per cent of the biomass consumed by coastal lions comes from wild prey, underlining the ecological health of Gujarat’s expanding lion habitat beyond the Gir Protected Area.

“Our study analysed 160 lion scat samples collected from the coastal districts of Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Amreli, Bhavnagar and Porbandar during March and April 2024 and our study found that wild prey accounted for 64 per cent of the lions’ diet, while domestic animals contributed 31 per cent. In terms of biomass consumed, wild prey contributed 70 per cent, compared to 30 per cent from livestock,’’ said Mohan Ram (IFS), Conservator of Forests, Junagadh circle and one of the authors of the study.

“Among all prey species, the blue bull (nilgai) emerged as the lions’ primary food source, contributing over half (51%) of the total biomass consumed. Wild pigs were the second most important wild prey, while cattle represented the largest domestic prey component,’’ Mohan Ram added.

The study, titled “Dietary Pattern of Asiatic Lions in the Coastal Ecosystem of Saurashtra, Gujarat, India,” was authored by Mohan Ram, Aradhana Sahu, Nityanand Srivastava, Kritagnya Vadar, Rohit Chaudhary, and Lahar Jhala, and was published in the journal Conservation.

The research study indicates that the lion population outside the Gir forests is benefiting farmers by preying on blue bulls (nilgai) and wild pigs, both of which cause damage to crops. By naturally controlling their populations, lions are helping reduce crop losses.

This study highlighted that Gujarat’s successful conservation model—where lions have expanded into multi-use landscapes while continuing to rely primarily on natural prey—offers valuable lessons for large carnivore conservation programmes across the world.

The findings are significant because they contradict the researchers’ original hypothesis that lions living in human-dominated coastal landscapes would depend more heavily on livestock due to limited wild prey availability.

Instead, the study concluded that healthy populations of nilgai and wild pigs along Gujarat’s coastline are enabling lions to sustain themselves largely on natural prey, thereby potentially reducing pressure on livestock and mitigating human-lion conflict.

The researchers noted that the coastal ecosystem now supports three important satellite populations of Asiatic lions—the southwestern coast, southeastern coast and Bhavnagar coast—which together have become an increasingly important part of the species’ expanding range.

According to recent estimates cited in the study, these coastal habitats support over 100 Asiatic lions, reflecting the success of Gujarat’s long-term conservation efforts that have allowed the species to disperse beyond the Gir forests.

The study also found that coastal lions have a relatively specialised diet, largely centred on nilgai and wild pigs, indicating that prey abundance and habitat quality strongly influence their feeding behaviour.

Researchers observed that while cattle and buffalo do form part of the lions’ diet, much of the cattle consumed is believed to be feral animals, which are abundant in parts of Saurashtra due to the practice of abandoning non-productive livestock. Their availability and lack of anti-predator behaviour make them easier prey than protected livestock.

The study emphasises that conserving wild prey populations is critical for ensuring the long-term survival of Asiatic lions outside protected forests.