India's Asiatic lion population rises to 891, union minister says

Lions are big wild cats, and India has a special kind called the Asiatic lion.

The only wild Asiatic lions left live in and around a place called Gir in Gujarat, India.

An Indian minister named Bhupender Yadav said there were 523 Asiatic lions in 2015.

Now, he said, there are 891 lions — that is a big increase!

He shared this happy news on World Lion Day, a special day for celebrating lions.

Another minister, Kirti Vardhan Singh, said India's efforts show that building and growing can happen without hurting nature.

In 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi started a plan called Project Lion to keep the lions safe for a long time.

Thanks to the plan, the area where the lions live has grown from about 30,000 square kilometres to nearly 35,000.

The plan also helps local people live peacefully with lions and keeps their forest home healthy.