Dwarka: The state-level celebrations of World Lion Day on August 10 will take place in Timbdi, Bhanvad Taluka, Devbhoomi Dwarka. The event will see the attendance of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Union Minister for Forest and Environment Bhupendra Yadav, and Gujarat Forest and Environment Minister Mulubhai Bera, the Forest and Environment Department has announced.

The department stated that the event aims to raise public awareness about the conservation and protection of the Asiatic lion — the ‘King of the Jungle’ and pride of Gujarat. The Asiatic lion is found only in Gujarat, roaming freely in about 11 districts of the Saurashtra region. This year, celebrations will be held across all 11 lion districts: Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Morbi, Surendranagar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Amreli, Porbandar, and Botad.

Since its inception in 2013, Gujarat’s World Lion Day celebration has earned recognition from World Records India (2016), India Book of Records and Asia Book of Records (2017), and World Book of Records (2019 and 2022).

Locally known as ‘Bardo’, the Barda Wildlife Sanctuary is a key biodiversity hotspot in Porbandar and Devbhoomi Dwarka districts. Declared a sanctuary in 1979, it was once a royal hunting ground and is now emerging as a second natural habitat for Asiatic lions. Spanning 192.31 sq. km, Barda recorded its first naturally settled adult male lion in 2023. Today, the population has grown to six adults and 11 cubs.

Eco-tourism initiatives, including a forest safari launched in the area, have generated new employment. Between its launch and March 2025, 2,271 tourists visited. The state government has allocated 248 hectares in Barda, Devaliya, and Ambardi for safari development at a cost of about ₹60 crore, plus ₹10 crore for eco-tourism facilities.

The May 2025 census shows a 32% rise in Gujarat’s lion population since 2020, from 674 to 891. Lions now occupy 35,000 sq. km across 11 districts. From 2007-08 to 2024-25, more than 9.61 lakh tourists have viewed Asiatic lions in Gir, Devaliya, and Ambardi.

Announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Independence Day 2020, Project Lion aims to secure the species’ future over 10 years with a ₹2,927.71 crore budget.

Gir Wildlife Sanctuary (est. 1965) and Gir National Park (est. 1975) form the core of lion conservation in India, covering 1,410.3 sq. km combined. Gir’s ecosystem hosts 631 plant species, 41 mammals, 338 birds, and 47 reptiles.

Additionally, the Central Government has approved a national-level “National Referral Center” for wildlife health at Nava Pipaliya, with 20.24 hectares allotted by the state. Work is underway, and a high-tech monitoring centre and veterinary hospital are already operational in Sasan. DeshGujarat