The Endangered Lions of India
All lions are technically endangered. Lions generally rank as a “vulnerable” species on the endangered species list. The reason for this ranking is mainly the decreasing habitat of these great beasts. However, one species of lion’s plight is far more precarious. The Asiatic lion (sometimes referred to as the Persian lion) is especially vulnerable. Only about 400 of these great cats currently roam one limited region of the globe.
The Gir Forrest in India
The Asiatic lion was once the dominant lion from the Middle East all the way into the mountains of Greece. Aristotle and Herodotus spoke of them. The Nemean lion that Hercules vanquished as part of his labors was probably an Asiatic lion. The creature, like most of the lions of the region, however, fell out of favor as the progress of civilization drove them from their ancestral lands.
By the beginning of the 20th century, these endangered lions had dwindled to only about a 100 individuals. The 1910 census of lions in India reported that there were only 13 such lions (although this is likely an exaggeration meant to help protect these great creatures from going extinct). Thus it was the government of this region of Indian (then under English colonial rule) decided to protect the remaining Asiatic lions within the Gir Forest.
The Gir Forrest is a region of Gujarat, India. The forest is home to thousands of species, but the Asiatic lion is by far its most famous resident. The attempts to save the lion have been relatively successful, but there are still several dangers that threaten the continued survival of these endangered lions.
Threats to the Asiatic Lion
One of the central threats to these lions comes from the lions themselves. Because the population of the lion dwindled to such small numbers, the descendents of these few survivors have suffered from the typical problems of creatures deriving from such a small gene pool. The Asiatic lion is vulnerable to diseases that weaken their sperm and make them infertile.
A controversy has recently come because of this problem. Authorities discovered that some breeders of the Asiatic lion were actually using African circus lions instead of continuing pure strains of the Asiatic lion. This controversy lead to the closing of breeding programs in both Europe and the United States.
Other problems have resulted from the success of the programs to save these endangered lion. As the Asiatic lion has returned to its dominance in the Gir Forest it has outgrown the forest’s limited resources. Lions have run afoul of farmers living at the edge of the forest. Many farmers have installed illegal electrified fences that have meant the end of more than one unlucky lion. The farmers claim they are actually trying to keep a type of antelope known as the Nilgai from plundering their crops. Unfortunately, the Nilgai is a natural food source for Asiatic lions, so wherever you find them in the Gir Forest, you are certain to find the Asiatic lion. The lions also sometimes fall into irrigation wells where they tire themselves and then drown. Attempts to build barriers and lion safe wells have proven only partly successful due to cost and failed attempts at ecological education.
A further problem arises from the interaction of Asiatic lions with cattle herds in and near the Gir Forest. Because of the increased success of the Asiatic lion and the reduced number of grazing lands in the Gir Forest, some lions have turned to preying on cattle. This, in turn, has lead herders to retaliate against the lions through poisons and violence.
Despite these dangers, wildlife promoters hope to introduce the Asiatic lion to a second habitat outside the Gir Forest to increase the rooming area of the lion. With some luck, this attempt may offer a partial solution to the problems these endangered lions have come across in the Gir.