Barda declared second lion habitat

Ahmedabad: Under Project Lion, the state govt has officially announced that Barda Dungar Sanctuary is the second habitat of the Asiatic lion. The govt stated, "Barda has emerged as a second home for lions, and today 17 lions, including six adults and 11 cubs, inhabit the Barda area."
In 1993, during a workshop on the Population and Habitat Viability Assessment (PHVA) of the Asiatic lion, Barda had been included as one of the sites for reintroduction of lions. The Gujarat forest department said Barda Sanctuary has a settled population of eight lions and planned to develop it as a ‘second home' for lions under this project. Recently, due to the natural spread and successful breeding of Asiatic lions, Barda Wildlife Sanctuary has emerged as a second habitat for the species.
March 3, World Wildlife Day 2025, is themed ‘Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet,' and underscores the role of sustainable funding in conservation efforts. Project Lion is planned with the aim of the conservation and expansion of the Asiatic lion population, ensuring their long-term survival through strategic habitat management and community participation.
The project, along with Project Cheetah, Project Dolphin, Project Elephant and Project Tiger, will be reviewed at the meeting of the National Board for Wildlife at Sasan on Monday. The foundation of Project Lion was laid on Independence Day on August 15, 2020, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address from the Red Fort. Project Lion, according to the Union forest ministry, is a 10-year project with a total budget of Rs 2,927.71 crore.
It aims to ensure the well-being of Asiatic lions, whose population, according to a 2020 estimation, is 674 animals spread across 53 talukas in nine districts, covering nearly 30,000 sq km in Gujarat. Under this project, for the monitoring of wildlife health, the govt has allocated 20.24 hectares of land in New Pipaliya, Junagadh. The govt has begun work on the National Referral Centre for Wildlife Health.
A high-tech monitoring centre and a state-of-the-art veterinary hospital have been established in Sasan to monitor wildlife in the Gir region. To prevent lion accidents on railway tracks in the Greater Gir region, a standard operating procedure (SOP) has been developed in collaboration with the railway, significantly reducing such incidents.
A total of 237 beat guards, including 75 women, were appointed in 2024 under the project to strengthen conservation efforts. Also, 92 rescue vehicles have been deployed for wildlife emergency response, rescue of wild animals and ensuring timely medical care.
The govt outlined work carried out under the project and stated that machans (raised platforms) have been given to farmers to reduce human-wildlife conflict. Some 11,000 machans have been built, helping farmers protect their crops while ensuring their safety and coexistence with lions. The construction of parapet walls around 55,108 open wells to prevent wildlife from accidentally falling in has reduced wildlife fatalities.
Project Lion include habitat and population management, wildlife health, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, local community participation, tourism development, scientific research, etc.