Asiatic lion numbers are rising in the wilds of India reports the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). The most recent count reports that 500 lions are living in the Gir forest up from 411 in 2010.
Most of these lions are found in the protected comfort of the Gir National Park. As their numbers increase though some are moving out bringing them closer to human populations. Due to their small population they are particularly vulnerable to conflict with humans.
ZSL has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Government of Gujarat in India where these lions are found pledging to support, safeguarding the future of Asian lions.
They are supporting the training of forest guards, patrols and monitoring, assisting In community outreach and investing in state of the art veterinary facilities.
Into the future they plan to upgrade veterinary equipment, train rescue and rehab teams and establish disease prevention, disease outbreak and quarantine protocols to prevent the catastrophic outbreak of disease on lions and their prey.
You can support this work by donating to ZSL’s Asiatic lions campaign here – Presents for the pride | ZSL
Photo Credit: By Anoop Rana [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
