Human-Lion Coexistence in Gujarat: A Study of Adaptation and Challenge

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in News?
• Asiatic Lion
• Key Findings of the Study

Why in News?

Recently, new research revealed that the entire population of 674 Asiatic Lions, confined to Gujarat, coexists with humans due to mutual adaptation, strict legal protection, economic incentives, and government compensation for livestock losses.

The research analyzed over 14,000 livestock depredations, 11,000 compensation claims, human attacks, and surveys from 277 villages to explore the factors enabling human-lion coexistence.

Asiatic Lion

• About
  • The Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica), also known as the Indian Lion, is a subspecies of the lion found exclusively in India. 
  • It is a symbol of courage and strength in Indian culture and is an integral part of the country’s wildlife heritage.
• Features
  • Physical Appearance: Smaller and more compact than African lions, with a less developed mane in males.
  • Distinctive Traits: A unique fold of skin runs along their belly, and they have shorter, sparser manes compared to their African counterparts.
• Habitat
  • Preferred Habitat: Dry deciduous forests, scrublands, and open grassy patches.
  • Current Habitat: Confined to the Gir Forest and surrounding areas in Gujarat, India.
• Geographical Range
  • Historically ranged across the Middle East and India but now restricted to Gujarat.
  • The population has expanded beyond Gir Forest into neighboring districts, covering an increasing geographic range.
• IUCN Status
  • It was listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. However, the organization has revised the Asiatic lion’s status to vulnerable in 2024.
• Challenges Faced
  • Habitat Loss: Agricultural expansion, industrialization, and human settlements encroach on lion habitats.
  • Human-Wildlife Conflict: Livestock depredation and occasional attacks lead to tension with local communities.
  • Genetic Bottleneck: Small population size increases vulnerability to diseases and reduces genetic diversity.
  • Poaching and Illegal Activities: Threats from poaching and illegal wildlife tourism practices.
  • Natural Calamities: Risk from droughts, forest fires, and potential pandemics.
• Conservation Efforts
  • Legal Protection: Listed under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. They are also listed in Appendix I of CITES.
  • Conservation Projects: Initiatives like the Lion Conservation Project and compensation schemes for livestock losses.
  • Translocation Plans: Efforts to establish a second population in Madhya Pradesh for long-term survival.

Key Findings of the Study

1. Factors enabling human-lion coexistence

• Economic and Sociocultural Drivers
  • Earnings from regulated and unregulated wildlife tourism on private lands are significant.
    • Regulated tourism happens in and around protected areas such as Gir National Park.
    • On the other hand, there is unregulated tourism on private land and this also includes offering livestock as bait, illegally.
  • Proper implementation of livestock compensation schemes also reduced the human-lion conflict.
    • A study in Kenya found that compensating for livestock killed by lions reduced the number of lions killed by pastoralists by 87–91%.
  • Sociocultural acceptance, including viewing lions as noble and charismatic, fosters tolerance.
• Benefits to lions
  • Lions have benefitted on two key counts. 
    • With greater human acceptance, they can move around outside Gir’s protected areas. 
    • Second, owing to legal and cultural practices, old cattle are abandoned, which forms a big chunk of the big cat’s diet in the form of old livestock or carrion.
• Conclusion
  • The lions and communities are co-adapting to co-exist. And benefits to each other, lions and people, exceed the costs of living together, resulting in co-existence.

2. Challenges and Recommendations

• Conservation Concerns:
  • Co-existence is fragile and requires management to reduce conflicts and protect lions.
  • Translocation of lions to Madhya Pradesh for genetic diversity and disease prevention remains unimplemented despite Supreme Court orders.
• Conflict Mitigation:
  • Proactive monitoring of lion prides in risk areas using radio collars with virtual geofences that can trigger warning signals.
    • This can pre-empt lion movement and mitigate negative human-lion interactions.
  • Revising livestock compensation schemes to match market rates and exploring livestock insurance schemes.

3. Community Tolerance and Conflict

• High- and moderate-conflict villages showed greater tolerance due to economic benefits from lions.
• Pastoralist communities exhibited the highest intolerance, primarily due to economic losses.

4. Livestock Losses

• 91% of livestock depredations occurred outside protected areas.
• Amreli district reported the most livestock death claims, followed by Junagadh, Gir Somnath, and Bhavnagar.
• Cattle were the most common prey, followed by goats, sheep, and buffalo.

Q.1. What factors enable human-lion coexistence in Gujarat?

Mutual adaptation, economic benefits from tourism, sociocultural acceptance, and government compensation schemes are key drivers for human-lion coexistence in Gujarat.

Q.2. What are the main challenges faced in lion conservation?

Challenges include habitat loss, human-wildlife conflicts, genetic bottlenecks, poaching, and risks from natural calamities. Translocation efforts and proactive monitoring are recommended solutions.

News: Economic drivers for communities, co-benefits of abandoned cattle for lions behind delicate human-lion co-existence in Gujarat, finds new study | Britannica | WWF India