Why in News?

• Recently, The Indian government has re-examining the long-standing plan to translocate Asiatic lions (Panthera leo persica) from Gir National Park to Kuno National Park.

Highlights

• The Supreme Court ordered the government to translocate Asiatic lions from Gujarat to the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. However, the lion translocation remains on paper.
• However, the Centre’s 25-year roadmap for Project Lion has no provision for any translocation outside Gujarat.
• Instead, the focus is on assisted natural dispersal across Saurashtra by 2047.
• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has recently pointed out that the lion population increased by 29% over the past 5 years.
• In view of the recent introduction of cheetahs in Kuno and NTCA is looking for measures to secure the lion’s future beyond Gir.
• The Asiatic Lion (also known as the Persian Lion or Indian Lion) is a member of the Panthera Leo Leo subspecies that is restricted to India.
• Its previous habitats consisted of West Asia and the Middle East before it became extinct in these regions.
• Asiatic lions are slightly smaller than African lions.
• Asiatic lions were once distributed to the state of West Bengal in east and Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, in central India.
• At present Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is the only abode of the Asiatic lion.