Narendra Modi: Steady increase in the lion population in India

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of World Lion Day on Tuesday the 10th of August said the lion’s population in India has seen a steady increase in the last few years.
The Prime Minister said in a series of tweets:
“The lion is majestic and courageous. India is proud to be home to the Asiatic Lion. On World Lion Day, I convey my greetings to all those passionate about lion conservation. It would make you happy that the last few years have seen a steady increase in India’s lion population,”
A government release said quoting the PM, “When I was serving as Gujarat CM, I had the opportunity to work towards ensuring safe and secure habitats for the Gir Lions. A number of initiatives were taken which involved local communities and global best practices to ensure habitats are safe and tourism also gets a boost,
Minister of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav also tweeted, “A great conservation success story that must be told on #WorldLionDay. As many as 674 #AsiaticLions spread across 30,000 sq. km reside and thrive in Gujarat. The big cat is re-colonizing its lost territories. Let’s continue to build on this.”
The population of lions went up from 523 in 2015 to 674 in 2020. The same period saw a 36% increase in the distribution area of the lions from 22,000 sq. km in 2015 to 30,000 sq km in 2020.
Asiatic lions are found in the protected areas such as Gir National Park and Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, and the agro-pastoral landscape of Saurashtra, covering 9 districts in Gujarat.
In early 2020, 92 lions had died in the Asiatic Lion Landscape, many of them due to the canine distemper virus. Gir region also suffered massive damage, mainly the loss of thousands of trees, due to Cyclone Tauktae this year.
The idea of relocating Asiatic Lions from Gir to Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary has been there since 1990. But it is still pending.