7 months ago
Gujarat CM Reviews Lion Conservation, Tiger Arrival
The Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel, visited the Dwarkadhish Temple in Dwarka where he prayed for the well-being of the people.
He then went to Sasan Gir to check on the conservation of Asiatic lions.
He took a jungle safari where he saw lions and other animals.
After that, he gave new vehicles to the forest staff to help them protect and take care of the wildlife.
Meanwhile, a Royal Bengal Tiger was spotted in the Jambughoda forest range, and the Forest Department is working to ensure the tiger stays in Gujarat by increasing the prey base and finding a mate for it.
Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel visited Dwarkadhish Temple and offered prayers for the state's prosperity.
He interacted with locals, tourists, and shopkeepers in Sasan Gir's market, trying local products.
Patel undertook a jungle safari in Gir National Park, sighting Asiatic lions and other wildlife.
He flagged off 183 vehicles for forest staff to enhance wildlife protection and conservation efforts.
The Forest Department briefed him on Project Lion and the 13 operational safari routes.
A Royal Bengal Tiger was spotted in the Jambughoda forest range, marking Gujarat's return as a tiger-bearing state after 33 years.
The Forest Department is working to increase the prey base and find a mate for the tiger to ensure its stay in Gujarat.
A herbivore breeding centre was set up to breed deer and sambar for the tiger.
Forest officials are tracking the tiger's movements and taking measures to keep it off the highway.
- Who
- Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Forest Department officials
- What
- Visited Dwarkadhish Temple, reviewed lion conservation, flagged off vehicles, and discussed tiger conservation
- Where
- Dwarka and Sasan Gir, Gujarat, and Jambughoda forest range in Panchmahal district
- When
- Thursday (after visiting on Wednesday evening)
- Why
- To offer prayers, review conservation efforts, improve wildlife protection, and ensure the tiger's stay in Gujarat
Key facts
- Location
- Dwarka and Sasan Gir, Gujarat
- Date
- Thursday (after visiting on Wednesday evening)
- Activities
- Prayers at Dwarkadhish Temple, jungle safari, vehicle flag-off
- Lion Population
- 891 Asiatic lions in Gir and Saurashtra
- Vehicles Flagged Off
- 183 vehicles for forest staff
- Project Lion
- Multi-layered framework for lion conservation
- Safari Routes
- 13 operational routes for jungle safaris
- Tiger Sighting
- Royal Bengal Tiger spotted in Jambughoda forest range
- Tiger Conservation
- Efforts to increase prey base and find a mate for the tiger
- Herbivore Breeding Centre
- Set up to breed deer and sambar for the tiger
Quotes
Jaipal Singh
Gujarat's Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Wildlife
“The dense and hilly 90-km corridor from Kanjeta to Kevdi and further to Jambughoda is one of the most intact and thriving forest patches of the state and well-suited for the tiger conservation programme in Gujarat… There is little human population and a prey base; we have been maintaining water sources also. There are several caves in the Kanjeta forest division which are also suitable for attracting the tiger.”
indianexpress.com
“We have pictures from trap cameras showing sloth bears and tigers sharing the same water point. Leopards also use it. They are adjusting.”
indianexpress.com
Arjun Modhwadia
Gujarat's Forest and Environment Minister
“In 1989, when the Tiger Census was conducted, officials spotted pugmarks of a tiger but no tiger was seen. In the 1992 Tiger Census, Gujarat was excluded and lost its status as a tiger state. With the sighting of a tiger in 2019 in Mahisagar district, a ray of hope was raised, but unfortunately it survived only for 15 days. It’s a matter of joy for us that the tiger has once again made Gujarat its home.”
indianexpress.com
S V Raulji
Jambughoda Range Forest Officer
“We released 22 sambars in the Ratanmahal area in August last year. Around the same time, the Kanjeta division released six spotted deer they had bred. They seem to have adapted to the forest.”
indianexpress.com
