Gandhinagar, March 4: Gujarat has recorded the death of 286 lions in the past two years, including 143 cubs, with 58 fatalities attributed to unnatural causes, according to State Forest Minister Mulubhai Bera. The data was revealed during the ongoing budget session in response to a question posed by senior Congress MLA Shailesh Parmar in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly.
Bera further disclosed that 456 leopards, including 140 cubs, also died in Gujarat during 2023 and 2024. Of the 286 lion deaths, 121 occurred in 2023, while 165 were recorded in 2024. Gujarat remains the last natural habitat of the Asiatic lion in the world, with the last official lion census in June 2020 estimating the state's lion population at 674, most of which reside in the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary.
Providing additional details, the minister stated that 225 leopards died in 2023, followed by 231 in 2024. Of the total lion deaths, 228 were attributed to natural causes, whereas 58 were caused by unnatural factors, including road accidents and drowning in open wells. Similarly, 303 leopard deaths were due to natural reasons, while 153 fatalities were caused by external factors.
To curb the rising number of unnatural lion deaths, the Gujarat government has initiated several measures, including the recruitment of veterinarians and the launch of ambulance services for timely treatment of lions and other wildlife. The government remains committed to enhancing conservation efforts and ensuring better protection of endangered species in the state.
