Feeble roar of the hybrid lions

Feeble roar of the hybrid lions
By Asit Jolly BBC correspondent in Chandigarh
More than 300 hybrid lions housed in zoos and safari parks across India will be prevented from reproducing and allowed to die out over the next few years.

The country's Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has ordered all establishments holding Asiatic lions which have been mated with African lions to be sterilised so that they become extinct.
The authorities say the hybrid lions have weakened the blood pool of India's lions and have turned out to be mangy, emaciated and suffering from mental and physical defects.
Officials say it has now been recognised that the breeding programme - which started in the late 1970s - has been unsuccessful.
'Cocktail' lions
Critics say that the breeding programmes across India were largely unsupervised over the years.
The end result has been a large increase in "cocktail" lions that have been interbred and are genetically weak.
The hybrid animals bear characteristics of both species, but are low on immunity and prone to disease. Some are reported to be suffering from tuberculosis.
Experts say the cross-breeding programme began when captive Asiatic lions in India's zoos were cross-bred with African lions travelling in circuses.
In the early days, zookeepers were not made aware of the importance of conserving pure genetic stock, and resorted to prolific breeding so that more animals could be used for exhibition purposes.
Punjab's Chhatbir Zoo, near Chandigarh, was at the forefront of the programme, producing nearly 100 cats, many of which have since become sick and died.
"The breeding programme between Asiatic and African lions in zoos, and their subsequent further inbreeding since the mid-1980s, has weakened the bloodline and devastated their gene pool," Chhatbir Zoo director Kuldip Kumar said.
The zoo's once healthy pride of lions is now no more than a motley collection of disease-prone animals barely able to stand up.
According to zookeepers, almost 45 lions have died over the past three years.
"We lost 13 cubs in one go," remembers wildlife warden Neeraj Gupta.
Almost all the deaths occurred because the animals suffered from severe immune deficiency which slows down or prevents healing whenever the animals fall sick or are hurt.
Today, Chhatbir Zoo is left with just 30 lions, and nearly all of them are hybrid and suffer afflictions caused by inbreeding.
While the zookeepers do their utmost to treat the animals and keep them as comfortable as possible, there is little they can do for those born paralysed or for others whose open wounds refuse to heal.

The breeding programme... has weakened the bloodline and devastated their gene pool, Chhatbir Zoo director Kuldip Kumar

'Over-crowding'
Indian laws and tradition forbid the killing of animals, so the unhealthy lions will be allowed to die out rather than be culled.
"This is not so much a sad story about a failed cross-breeding programme, as it is a story about animal welfare," said Belinda Wright, executive director of the Wildlife Protection Society of India.
"Many of them are terribly sick including the young ones.
"Although they are kept in reasonable conditions - mostly in open areas - too many of these lions were bred and the over-crowding made them even more vulnerable to illness."
Wildlife officials say plans are now afoot to replace the captive lion population with pure Asiatic stock, possibly through fresh breeding programmes using animals from the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
"Fortunately these are still available," said zoo director Kuldip Kumar.
To achieve this aim within the next decade, all male lions have been sterilised to prevent any further breeding of hybrids.
But in the meantime the once terrifying roars of lions at Chhatbir - like other Indian zoos - have been reduced to heart-rending wails.
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/4101049.stmPublished: 2004/12/16 13:27:00 GMT© BBC MMVIII

India's oldest captive lioness critically ill

India's oldest captive lioness critically ill
Nation's oldest lioness critical

Nivedita Ganguly‘Jinny’ was born in Indira Gandhi Zoological Park in October 1983.

* Average life span of feline bred in captivity rarely exceeds 18-20 years

* Zoo also has the nation’s oldest lion Arjun

VISAKHAPATNAM: A pall of gloom has descended on the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park as the pride of the zoo and the nation’s oldest lioness Jinny is fighting for her life ever since her condition deteriorated rapidly in the last six days.Born in October 1983 in the Vizag zoo, this 25-year-old feline is said to be the oldest surviving lioness (bred in captivity) in India.The average life span of a feline bred in captivity rarely exceeds 18-20 years, and in the wild it is between 12 and 16 years. “The animal has well crossed its lifespan and has not been put out for day crawl for quite some time now due to its deteriorating health conditions,” zoo curator Rahul Pandey told The Hindu. Jinny has not been taking food from the last six days and is being supported by saline. The zoo also had the nation’s oldest lion Arjun that is being kept on a special diet, considering its age and fragile state of health. The zoo has a dozen of its big cat inmates, most of which are hybrid and many have past their lifespan capacity. At least three of the big cats are well into old age, including the lone puma, which is an exotic species procured from Singapore zoo, and the aged animals have deteriorating eyesight caused by cataract.Currently, the zoo has two lions and one lioness. “We are in the process of procuring two lionesses from Tirupati zoo shortly in exchange of a male olive baboon and a red jungle fowl. Plans are also there to get one pure breed of Asiatic male lion from Hyderabad zoo,” Mr. Pandey said.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/11/27/stories/2008112758890300.htm

Indian lion staff get insurance

Indian lion staff get insurance
By Sunil Raman BBC News, Delhi
A new initiative in the Indian state of Gujarat will soon see forest staff in the country's only reserve of Asiatic lions get insurance cover.
At present there is no cover available to thousands of forest personnel who work in wildlife parks in the state.
Forest personnel who die on duty or who are injured have little access to financial help - which has lowered morale and affected recruitment.
But the death of 19 lions last year has led to the launch of the initiative.
'Boost morale'
It is the brainchild of the Gujarat government and a non-governmental organisation, Wildlife Trust of India.
It comes into being after years of discussions between the state government and the trust, which has long argued that such a scheme would "motivate and boost the morale" of forest personnel.
Similar schemes for wildlife staff operate in other parts of India.
"The scheme was started in 2001 and is the only one of its kind that has paid 40 death claims to families of forest guards killed fighting poachers and in accidents involving wild animals while protecting forests," the trust's website says.
The insurance plan was approved by the Gujarat government earlier this month.
It will be financed entirely by the trust, in return for employees each paying 70 rupees (around $2) premium.
The policy will cover the insured person against accident or death when on duty for 100,000 rupees (around $2,000).
The Gujarat government is now in the process of collating information about the number of staff working in Gir - the country's only Asiatic lion reserve - and other wildlife parks, officials say.
Another rare animal, the wild ass, is located in the Rann of Kutch in the eastern part of the state.
The trust's Rakesh Kumar Singh said a large number of posts in the forest department are vacant at the moment.
"Most forest staff do not want to go and work in parks, as they do not want to endanger their lives," he said.
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/6753773.stmPublished: 2007/06/14 17:03:18 GMT© BBC MMVIII

Asiatic Lion or Asian Lion

Asiatic Lion or Asian Lion is one of the two subspecies of lions extant.
Amongst the most regal animals on earth, the Asiatic Lion or Asian Lion is one of the two subspecies of lions extant. Slightly smaller than its African cousin, the Asiatic Lion is under dire threat as a subspecies and is struggling for survival. Its origin as a subspecies is relatively recent in evolutionary terms, occurring one hundred thousand years ago. Panthera Leo Persica, the great cat once roamed over a range extending from Greece to South Asia, but relentless human persecution has meant it is now restricted to a single reserve in the west Indian state of Gujarat, by name of Gir Forest.


Apart from size, the other features that distinguish the Asian Lion from African Lion include a bushier coat, smaller mane that exposes their ears, a central skin fold that runs across the belly and longer tufts of hair at elbows and tip of tail. Weight is in the range of four to five hundred pounds for males and two hundred and fifty to three hundred and fifty pounds for females. Body length is between six to seven feet excluding a three foot tail, with females being smaller, though larger individuals of around nine feet have been recorded.

Asiatic Lions live in dry deciduous forests and scrub lands of the isolated Gir Forest of slightly over one thousand square kilometers. Between three hundred to three hundred and fifty individual cats exist in this sanctuary in an overcrowded environment, often straying outside park boundaries and coming into conflict with locals. Prey includes Spotted Deer, Sambhar, Goat, Nilgai, Buffaloes and even some smaller animals. Cattle are often attacked and killed and so are camels, bringing them under ire of locals. Attacks on humans are more frequent these days owing to the shrinking habitat and growing numbers of lions, pushing them more often into bordering human territories. Social animals, Asian Lions live in smaller pride units than their African counterparts. A couple of females live with one to two males who are somewhat solitary and come together when the family dines. The lesser numbers in prides in these lions are often attributed to the smaller prey animals that are available to these hunters, making it difficult for the social cats to share in large numbers. Hunting is cooperative and chiefly done by females, with males joining at times to bring down bigger prey like buffalo.

Also known as Persian Lions (during their period of existence in Persia) and Indian Lions, these majestic big cats have only one sanctuary on the planet, the Gir Protected Area of Indian Gujarat. Millions of dollars have been spent in creating a separate reserve in Kuno-Palpur National Park in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh but the State Government of Gujarat refuses to lend a few of its lions to populate the new sanctuary which is now believed to be ready to receive its first batch of the great cats. It is widely believed that the Gujarat Government wants to keep its monopoly on the tourist trade by keeping its troubled lions jammed in the only place in the world where they can be sighted in the wild, thus bringing the entire subspecies into risk through inbreeding. Furthermore, a single epidemic or environmental catastrophe can wipe out the entire wild population of the last lions of Asia.

Asiatic lions begin to mate with the coming of winter in October and November. Pregnancy lasts near three and a half months (one hundred and three days) following which a litter of three to four cubs is born. The young are introduced to a solid diet at three months and begin hunting at nine months of age. They gain independence when they are an year old. Maturity is reached between three to four years of age. A female can successfully reproduce once every two years. Lifespan is up to seventeen years in the wild and twenty four years in captivity.

Nearly a century ago rampant hunting had led to disappearance of lions from everywhere except the Gir Forest where a handful remained. At that time, the local ruler of Junagadh, perhaps under advice from the then Viceroy of India, placed a ban on hunting of lions. The ban has continued since then and the lion population has increased over the years. However, the threats they face today are plentiful. Chief among them is the fact that they have limited genetic variability since they have only originated from a few dozen ancestors. This makes them particularly vulnerable to disease. Another problem are the local people who are cattle owners and are having an adverse impact on wild prey population through overgrazing of their animals. Plus there are thousands of wells in the forest dug by locals into which the lions frequently fall and die. Only recently has the government started to raise their boundary walls through collaboration with NGOs. Many farmers have erected illegal electrical fences to protect their fields from herbivores. A number of lions have thus died as a result of accidental electrocution from these high voltage barricades. Recently it was reported that a tribe of poachers consisting of hundreds of people has camped next to the lion sanctuary. The same individuals are reported to be responsible for the killing of tigers that has resulted in the plummeting of Bengal Tiger population in India. Officials are taking action and forest guards are on the vigil but lions continue to be shot and poisoned regularly, resulting in the loss of dozens of these extremely rare animals annually. To add to the misery of the big cats, roads and even railway tracks have been laid across the park, meaning that the already inbreeding lions are forced to live in even smaller fragmented pockets.

The rapid expansion of India, according to many, has led to the weakening of authority of the central Government over its provinces. Both the tiger and the vanishing lions of India are suffering as a result. Unless a less selfish approach is adapted by the Gujarat state and separate reserves are populated by the Asiatic Lions, the fate of these spectacular cats hangs in the balance, their current classification being Critically Endangered.

Seventy mines to be closed near Junagadh

Seventy mines to be closed near Junagadh
Gujarat Samachar
Briefly Translated from Gujarati
Recently Girnar forest having 192 km2 is declared as Wildlife sanctuary in a move to protect Asiatic Lions. As per Supreme Court directions mining activity is not allowed within 5 kms of any WLS. Hence Dept. of Mines & Minerals have started issuing notice for closure of mines on Bilkha road.
Mine owners say that if they have NOC of forest Dept they can do the mining. Also they say that wild animals are not coming near mines and that mines are located after Visawadar Road & Railway track. Thus mines should be allowed.
There are about 70 mines in Plaswa, Vijapur, Dungarpur, Toraniya and Padariya village near Junagadh. It produces about 200 truck loads of lime stones with a daily turn-over of 10 Lac Rupees. It employs over 5000 labours.
District Geologist officer Shree Mulle said that those mine owners who bring NOC from forest office will be allowed to do mining.

Prey base to be widened to check human-big cat conflict

Prey base to be widened to check human-big cat conflict
BASHIR PATHAN
Gandhinagar, July 08Government increases compensation for injuries, death and loss of cattle in leopard attacks
Frequent incidents of leopard attacks on humans have sent alarm bells ringing in the Gujarat Forest department. It has now launched concerted measures to check such incidents across the state. One of these measures includes setting up of breeding centres to increase the prey-base in the forest areas where frequent leopard attacks are reported.
The leopard population in Gujarat was estimated at 999 in the 2002 census, which rose to around 1,070 in 2006. According to a senior forest official, around 80 people have lost their lives and about 600 others have sustained injuries in leopard attacks across the state in the last 12 years, with most of the victims being from central Gujarat, mainly in the tribal-dominated Panchmahals district.
PCCF (Wildlife) Pradeep Khanna said they have already started setting up breeding centres in the forest areas in a bid to create an adequate prey-base for leopards. One such centre has already been set up in the Barda forests in Saurashtra, and another one is proposed in the Dangs, he said.
He said during summers, the big cats often stray out of their habitats in search of water as forest areas particularly in central and north Gujarat face acute water shortage. "As such, the department has now decided to create water holes in the forest areas," said Khanna, adding that "villagers are also being educated on how to protect themselves from the panthers".
Gujarat Forest and Environment Minister Mangubhai Patel told The Indian Express on Tuesday that there has been an increase in leopard attacks of late, mostly due to a shrinking prey-base and increasing human interference in the forests areas.
He expressed serious concern over the Monday incident in which four people sustained serious injuries in a leopard attack at Ratanpur village in Dhanduka taluka of Ahmedabad district. "I have directed senior officials of my department to launch efforts to check such incidents," the minister said.
Former state Chief Wildlife Warden G A Patel said the increasing unauthorised cultivation in forest areas along with dwindling forest cover and human interference were prompting the big cats to attack humans.
"The forest department will have to chalk out a detailed plan to curb the increasing human activities in the forest areas, improve the forest cover and augment the prey-base to avoid animal-man conflicts. There is an urgent need to increase the number of herbivorous animals like chital, wild boar, chowsingha, deer and languor so as to create an adequate prey-base for the leopards," said Patel. He is presently on the five-member panel set up by the Union Environment and Forest Ministry for "Rationalisation of Boundaries of National Parks and Sanctuaries".
Patel added that leopard attacks on humans are rarely reported from the Gir forest area where there is sufficient prey-base available. The population of angulets in the Gir forests is estimated at over 70,000, making a sizeable prey-base for not only leopards, but also for the world famous Asiatic Lions. The Gir forest has over 250 leopards.
Meanwhile, the department has also decided to increase the compensation amount for minor and grievous injuries in leopard attacks. The compensation amount has been raised from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 for minor injuries and from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 for grievous injuries caused to humans by the big cats. The compensation in case of a loss of human life in a leopard attack has been fixed at Rs one lakh.
Similarly, the compensation for herbivorous animals killed in leopard attacks has increased by 40 per cent.
A compensation of Rs 8,000 and 5,000 has been fixed for a milch cow and buffalo. The compensation for a bull aged over two years has been fixed at Rs 6,000. For a younger bull, the amount is now Rs 3,500. The compensation rates for cattle have been fixed at Rs 550 for sheep, Rs 425 for goat, Rs 5,000 for camel and Rs 7,500 for horse.

Asiatic LionPanthera leo persicus

Asiatic LionPanthera leo persicus
Size: Weight: Male 160-190 Kg; Female 110-120 Kg. Length (head and body): Male 170-250 cm; Female 140-175 cm. The largest Asiatic Lion on record measured 2.9 m from nose to tail-tip. Shoulder height: Male 100-123 cm; Female 80-107 cm.
Habitat and Distribution: Dry scrubland and open deciduous forest habitats. This species used to be found across the whole of Northern Africa, south west Asia and northern Greece. Today, there are only around 350 individuals left, found only in the Gir forest reserve in Gujarat, northern India.
Age: Females live on average 17-18 years whilst males live for around 16 years. In captivity, they can live up to 30 years.
Groups and Breeding: Lions are sociable and often live in large groups known as prides (although some are nomads living alone or in pairs). These prides consist of related females and their young, together with a coalition of 1-4 males. The females are responsible for catching most of their food and hunt together in packs.
When lions mate, the females are ‘super fecund’, this means that they can mate with more than one male and the cubs that are subsequently born in the same litter can have different fathers. During a mating bout, which could last several days, the couple frequently copulate twenty to forty times a day and are likely to forego hunting. In captivity lions reproduce very well. Gestation lasts 100-119 days and the female gives birth to a litter of one to six cubs. The females in a pride often synchronize their reproductive cycles so that they cooperate in the raising and suckling of the young. Cubs are weaned after six to seven months, but competition for food and infanticide from males taking over prides means that in the wild, 80 per cent. of cubs die before the age of 2 years.
Diet: These are carnivorous animals and will feed on almost any animal from rodents through to large ungulates. However, larger animals such as deer, antelope, wild boar, and buffalo form the largest part of their diet. An adult female lion needs about 5 kg of meat per day, a male about 7 kg but they can gorge up to twice this amount when food is scarce.
____________________________________________________
Did you know ?
# In 2005 only 359 individual Asiatic Lions were found in the wild. Possible reasons for such small numbers include hunting for the hide, sport and their claws, poisoning and conflict with humans for attacking livestock, loss of habitat and threats by floods, fires and epidemics.
#Lions can reach speeds of about 37 miles per hour, but they lack the stamina to be long-distance runners, so they have to come within about 30m of their prey before starting their attack.
#A lion's roar can be heard up to 6 miles away. This is used to let other members of the pride know where they are and to mark their territory to other males.
#A lion’s mane is thought to make it look bigger and therefore deter other potential predators and also makes them more attractive to females. Scientists have discovered that females prefer males with fuller and darker manes. The Asiatic Lion’s mane is smaller than an African Lion’s and does not hide its ears.
#Lions are very territorial and can have bitter fights for land and for dominance of the prides. Many lions bear deep scars and teeth marks from fights.
#During the breeding season, lions can mate up to 700 times!
#A lion’s territory can be up to 150 square miles, depending on availability of prey species and peer pressure. They will mark their boundaries with urine and faeces.
#Lions may spend up to 20 hours a day sleeping to get away from the heat of the day and to preserve energy for the following day’s hunting.
____________________________________________________
Want to Help?
A visit to the Cotswold Wildlife Park can now be even more worthwhile. By adopting an animal, you can provide a helpful contribution towards the costs of keeping and feeding the animals and supporting our conservation breeding programmes... click here for more information

Panthera leo persicus is Asiatic lion

Asiatic lion
Scientific name: Panthera leo persicus
Country: India
Continent: Asia
Diet: Asiatic lions feed on wild pigs, cattle, antelope and deer in the wild. At the Zoo they are fed meat, raw eggs and a smear of marmite a week, to get a balance of vitamins. They are fed 6 days out of 7, as this reflects their natural behaviour in the wild where they would not successfully catch prey every day.
Food & feeding: Carnivore
Habitats: Tropical dry forest, tropical grassland, desert and semi-desert.
Conservation status: Critically Endangered
Relatives: African lion, Tiger, Domestic cat
Description: Asiatic lions have a shaggier coat than their African counterparts, and both sexes have a distinctive fold of skin that runs along the belly. They have a longer tassel of hair on the end of the tail and longer tufts of hair on the elbows. Males are 1.7-2.5 m long and weigh 150-250 kg. While females are 1.4-1.75 m in length and weigh in at 120-182 kg. Like all cats they are equipped with powerful retractable claws and long sharp canine teeth that are used in dragging their prey to the ground.
Lifestyle: Like African lions, hunting is a cooperative affair but adult males rarely participate. If vegetation is sparse, hunting usually takes place at night, but where it is thick, it may also take place during the day. The lions use stealth to approach their prey and then charge and either grab or knock it down before it outruns them. Only one in about four charges ends successfully. Lions are inactive for most of the day, spending up to 20 hours per day resting or sleeping.
Family & friends: Like their African cousins, Asian lions are highly social animals, living in units called prides. However, the Asiatic pride is much smaller, with an average of only 2 females compared to the African pride, which has an average of four to six. The males are also less social and only associate with the pride when mating or on a large kill. It has been suggested that this may be because of the smaller prey available in Gir. Small prey mean less animals are needed to hunt them down, and there would be less meat to share between more lions if the prides were larger.
Keeping in touch: As you can often hear when walking by Bristol Zoo Gardens in the late evening, Asiatic lions often communicate by roaring late in the day and into the night.
Growing up: Females reach sexual maturity at 2 to 4 years of age. They normally have 2 to 4 cubs after a gestation period of 100-119 days. The cubs start eating meat at about 3 months of age while continuing to suckle for up to 6 months. They spend 9 months perfecting their hunting techniques, become independent aged one and reach maturity at 3 to 4 years. Cub mortality is high, up to 80% may die before 2 years of age. They can live for about 17 years in the wild and up to 24 in captivity.
Did you know?
Although fearsome predators, Asiatic lions in the past have rarely attacked humans. But in recent years attacks on humans have been on the increase. The reason seems to be that restricting the entry of cattle that previously roamed the park has left the lions lacking a key food source, and hungry lions sometimes look to humans, whose numbers in the area have increased dramatically, for their next meal.
Conservation news
Conservation news: The Asiatic lion was once found in Eastern Europe, Turkey, the Middle East and most of India. It became extinct in Europe around 100 A.D. and in Palestine around the time of the Crusades. It remained widespread until the time of the advent of firearms in the mid 1800s, which led to widespread extinction through hunting as a sport. In 1900, the Nawab of Junagadh, the local ruler, declared the few remaining lions of the Gir forest in India protected animals. The Nawab told everyone that there were only 20 remaining to prevent people from going to the Gir to hunt them. The population was estimated to be around 100 between 1968 and 1979 but is now thought to be more than double this. However, the forest is now approaching the limit of the number of lions that it can support and other safe havens for Asiatic lions in India are sorely needed. One suggested location is the Barda Hills near Porbandar. The Gir Forest is a dry deciduous forest in Gujarat, western India. Its wildlife sanctuary is 545 square miles with only the central 100 square miles completely protected as a National Park. About 7,500 Maldhari people and their 14,000 cattle live in the Forest Sanctuary, with a further 160,000 people and 100,000 cattle living within 6 miles of the Sanctuary. As there are so few Asiatic lions, it is necessary to manage the captive and wild populations if the species is to recover. It is essential to ensure that all the lions are pure bred and that pairs are not closely related to one another. Bristol Zoo Gardens is actively involved in this programme.
Animals at Bristol Zoo
Our Asiatic lions are Moti (female) and Chandra (male). Moti was born at Helsinki Zoo in July 1994 and came to Bristol Zoo Gardens in 1996. Chandra was born at Chester Zoo in October 1994 and came to us from Cotswold Wildlife Park in 1996. Two cubs were born at Bristol Zoo Gardens in August 1998, Indi and Dacca, and a third in August 2001, Aiesha. They have since grown up and moved to other Zoos as part of a conservation breeding programme, coordinated by London Zoo.

landmark lion study in UK

Doha researcher contributes to landmark lion study in UK
Publish Date: Saturday,5 April, 2008, at 01:52 AM Doha Time

Yamaguchi with a model of a lion’s skull

Staff Reporter

A RESEARCHER at Qatar University (QU) has contributed to a landmark study which recorded the first genetic evidence that England’s first lions hailed from North Africa where the species is extinct in the wild today.Nobuyuki Yamaguchi, assistant professor of Animal Ecology at QU’s Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, was a member of a team of researchers from London’s Natural History Museum and Oxford University.

The mission centred on two lion skulls found during excavations at the Tower of London. The lions were part of the Royal Menagerie, a collection of animals also including leopards, bears and other exotic animals that were probably gifts to English monarchs.

The examination of the mitochondrial DNA of well preserved skulls and analysis of the jawbones of the two lions revealed that they shared unique genes with the North African Barbary lion.

The link was further strengthened by the comparison of the skulls with Asiatic and North African Barbary lion skulls that are preserved in natural history collections in the UK and Europe.

Radiocarbon dating of the skulls showed them to be from the 13th to 15th centuries, making them the earliest confirmed lion remains in Britain since the extinction of the Pleistocene cave lion. According to Yamaguchi, historic records show that lions could be found from North Africa through the Middle East to India until the growth of civilisations along the Egyptian Nile and Sinai Peninsula almost 4,000 years ago stopped gene flow, isolating the lion populations.

“Western North Africa was the nearest region to Europe to sustain lion populations until the early 20th century, making it an obvious and practical source for mediaeval merchants. Apart from a tiny population in northwest India, lions have been practically exterminated outside sub-Saharan Africa by the turn of the 20th century,” he explained.The Barbary Lion, which lived in North Africa from Morocco to Egypt, is now extinct in the wild. There are about 40 in captivity in Europe, with less than a 100 in zoos around the world.

Commenting on the study, Yamaguchi observed that through such research he is seeking to improve the quality of his teaching which in turn will have great benefits for his students at QU in terms of raising their level of interest in the sciences and in research. “Good research really helps teaching and more efforts need to be injected in supporting it,” he said.'>

Indian Lions Moving out of Gir Sanctuary

Indian Lions Moving out of Gir Sanctuary
It has been reported from India that at least 6 lions have recently left The Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary and relocated themselves some 50 miles to the Amreli region. There have been increasing reports of lions, sometimes in prides, roaming outside the boundaries of Gir Forest.
As the lion population in Gir grows, coupled with increasing encroachment into the park iteslf, it is inevitable that the lions will succumb to that pressure, and start to wander outside the sanctuary. New Habitat Required The pressue on Gir heightens the need for new habitat to be designated for the Asiatic lions. There are roughly 359 Asiatic Lions living in Gir forest today. However the conservation success over the last 50 years means that there are now more lions than there is room in Gir. Many of the Lions have been straying outside the sanctuary due to the population pressure, so the State and Central Government are planning to add 300 sq. km more area to the existing 1460 sq. km. In last two decades two regions have been added to the area of National Park, but there is now urgent need for a further expansion. There have also been plans made to create a second reserve, which would help protect the still severely endangered lions from outbreaks of disease, but these plans seems to have stalled at the moment.

Cub Mania in Japan:

Cub Mania in Japan:
Zoos in Japan are celebrating the arrival of newborn lion and cheetah cubs at the beginning of a warm spring.
One rare lion cub, born on 11th February, made his first public appearance on the 21st of March.
The precious Indian lion cub, also known as the Asiatic lion, was very weak and put in an infant incubator immediately and the zoo has decided to raise the cubs.
Two cubs were born but the sibling died after the birth.
Scampering around, the seven-week-old Indian lion is being treated like the "prince" of the zoo because he is the first male cub in eight years.
On Wednesday, he was named "Raja" deriving from the Hindi word for "King".
The cub rested its front paws on the milk bottle as proud father Shunichiro Tajima fed the cub like he does everyday.
The rare cub has been nurtured by the zoo keeper and have grown to a healthy 5198 grammes.
In the past eight years, male cubs were born but none of them survived. Raja is the proud survivor of the Zoorasia. His older brother is housed at Ueno Zoo at Tokyo.
The cubs are particularly special because they are so rare - there are barely 500 of the species still in existence - 300 in the wild and 200 in captivity.

Japan goes ga-ga over baby lion.

Japan goes ga-ga over baby lion.
Monday, 31 March, 2008
Meet Japan's latest animal star. The five-kilo baby lion-cub, born only a month ago on February 11, is greeted with squeals and coos from the crowds at the Zoorasia Yokohama zoological gardens at every public appearance he makes. "He was so cute. I cannot say anything more," said 33-year-old Yuri Horiuchi, one of hundreds of visitors at one of his twice a week public showings, who jokingly added that the lion cub was cuter than her two daughters. "I am glad that I can take many photographs of the baby lion before he grows much, much bigger in just a short time," added 10-year-old Natsumi Yoshida. While some other animals may pout at all the fuss surrounding him, this little cub may deserve most of it. Rare species The tiny lion cub is of a rare subspecies of lions called the Asiatic lion. Only 350 individuals are known to survive in the wild and are distinct from the African lions seen in most zoos. The last of the Asiatic lions now mostly live in the state of Gujarat, India therefore going by the name of "Indian lion" in Japan. Once king of the animal kingdom from the Mediterranean to the borders of Bangladesh, this big cat has been hunted for sport, killed by farmers trying to protect their livestock and basically chased from their habitats by humans to the point of being now critically endangered. For the zoo keepers in Yokohama, 45 kilometres outside the Japanese capital Tokyo, this new born pussy cat deserves the full star treatment. It is, after all, also the first Asiatic lion cub born country. "His mother is not only unaccustomed to raising a child but also a bit too old as a lion to raise a child. Yet to be named So after discussions, we decided to raise him by ourselves because it would enhance his survival probability," said Shunichiro Tajima, one of the zoo keepers in charge of the lion cub. But while it is just about starting taking baby steps to being the carnivore it is, with its first small morsel of horse meat eaten recently, this kitty is still just a little ball of fur and prefers to lap up specially-treated cat's milk from its trainer. It has, however, no name yet. Zoo officials have set aside three already – Suraj, Dost and Raja (meaning respectively "sun", "friend' and "king" in Hindi) but are asking the public to make the final decision in a vote on March 31st.

81 lions dead in last 2 yrs

81 lions dead in last 2 yrs

28 Feb 2008, 1712 hrs IST,
NEW DELHI: A total of 81 lions have died across the country from January 2006 to 2008, with nine of them becoming victims of poaching, Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday. Fifty two lions died a natural death, 1 because of an accident and 6 due to electrocution while 13 fell in a well and 9 lions died because of poaching in Gir protected area and surrounding habitats of Gujarat. Out of th 6 lions electrocuted, five of them died in Permpara village, outside the Gir Protected Areas in October 2007. Investigation shows that a farmer had laid electrified wire fencing his agriculture land to prevent crop damage from wild herbivores, Minister of State for Environment and Forests S Regupathy said. Answering a separate question on declining population of endangered animals including lions, tigers and elephants, Regupathy said fluctuation in the wildlife population is a natural phenomenon. As per the information available there are no reports to indicate a continuous sharp decline in the population of endangered species, he said. The minister said, "census of gharials are conducted on a regular basis and is not done for the first time."

Five injured in lion attacks in Gir

Five injured in lion attacks in Gir

Times of India Ahmedabad Edition
Rajkot: In two different incidents of lion attacks on human beings on the outskirts of Gir forest, as many as five persons have been reportedly injured on Wednesday.
Sources in the forest department said around 8 am, two agriculture labourers were attacked by a wild cat near Devala village situated under Sarasia range of Gir (east division). In the incident, Dhanji Manaji Parghi and Valaji Ravaji Parghi got injured. The same animal also injured two persons Kadava Vekaria and Vipul Vekaria in the adjoining farm. Sources said all four persons were taken to Dhari hospital where they were discharged after receiving primary treatment. According to a witness, there was a herd of around five lions. However, forest officials said that lions generally don’t attack human beings without reason and some one must have tried to disturb them.
In another similar incident, that occurred near a farm in Fatsar village of Una taluka in Junagadh distict, an unidentified person was reportedly injured by a lion in the afternoon.

All's not 'well' for Gir lions

All's not 'well' for Gir lions
27 Jan 2008,
AMRELI: After big promises were made to safeguard the killer wells of Gir, an incident on Tuesday, when a two-year-old lion cub fell into one, shouts out loud for them to be fulfilled. The cub apparently tripped into an open well, which had a one-foot high wall, on the Dhari-Khambha road on the outskirts of Madhupur village. Luckily, Una forest staff saved it in time and has kept it in custody till its pride was found. It had taken eight poached lions in Gir in March-April 2007 and uproar, for the government to awaken to the cause of preserving the pride of our nation. The Tuesday incident has brought to light the potential danger some 10,000 odd open wells in and around Gir could cause to the big cats. The state government had then proposed an action plan to build parapets around the wells. Top corporate bosses attended a high-level meeting in May 2007 in which they were roped in to build these parapet walls. TOI found that though work did start, and a few wells have been barricaded, very little has happened on the ground. Kishore Kotecha of Wildlife Conservation Trust, Rajkot says, “Lack of funds is a major issue. Each barricade costs Rs 10,000, and though the government chips in Rs 4,000, we have to manage Rs 6,000 from our pockets. I could complete barricading of 109 wells as per an MOU that I had signed only with contribution of my contacts. Now, the WWF has financed 75 wells but it is not enough.” When asked of corporate participation, Kotecha said, “Several corporates did come forth but implementation is very slow. Reliance had committed 1,500, but have made only a few wells, Ambuja Cements had committed 500 and completed 120, Tata Chemicals committed about a 1,000 and have completed only 50 odd wells. The work though started with a lot of zest, is happening at a very slow pace. We expect to finish only 800 wells by March. If a company does not wish to undertake construction themselves they can always get it done by an NGO like ours.” So the score card so far is 800 of 10,000 wells covered in one year, which comes to 0.08 per cent completion rate!

Gene pools to conserve Asiatic lions

Gene pools to conserve Asiatic lions

14 Feb 2008, 0204 hrs IST, Himanshu Kaushik,

GANDHINAGAR: In a bid to strengthen its case of not shifting Gir’s Asiatic lions to Madhya Pradesh, the state government has initiated a move to create three gene pools to conserve the genetic diversity of this endangered wild cat. Pradeep Khanna, additional principal chief conservator of forest, said that creating these gene pools was a part of a long-term planning to save the Asiatic lions. One gene pool each will be formed in Rampara Virdi, about 40 km from Rajkot, in Sakkarbaugh Zoo of Junagadh and Hingolgadh in Jasdan taluka of Rajkot district. "There are two ways of conservation - one, within the environment and second, bringing the animal out of the environment and conserving the genetic diversity. The gene pool will have 10 to 20 animals per pool," said Khanna. These pools will help in conserving lions outside the protected environment. The move has also been necessitated considering the fact that if the entire population of Asiatic lions is confined to just one area, they would be highly vulnerable to any kind of biological, climactic or man-made catastrophe. A major disaster within the Gir could wipe out the entire subspecies at a stroke. Likewise, a disease outbreak could decimate the lion population. Measures are also being taken to correct a little known biological imbalance concerning the Asiatic lion. They said that around 50 wild cats would be shifted to these gene pools. This would again ease the burden on Gir sanctuary, which has around 359-odd lions. The capacity of Gir was just 250-270-odd lions and with these three gene pools, it would definitely reduce the burden. Officials said that the gene pools would also be a breeding ground for the Asiatic lions and there is a possibility that 10-12 pairs of animals would be kept in these gene pools. The Central government is already pressing hard for shifting the lions from Gir to Kuno-Palpur sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. Requesting anonymity, forest department officials said that the decision to create gene pools was taken by the department to counter Centre’s move to shift the lions from Gujarat.

LION RESCUED FROM OPEN WELL

Lion rescued from open well

Lion rescued from well : madhapur (Gir)
Posted online From amreli : Thursday, January 22, 2008 at 10:00 hrs IST
Amreli: The State Forest Department rescued a lion that fell into an open well near Madhapur village (Ta. Dhari, Dist. Amreli) in the district this morning, forest officials said. The two-year-old lion who had strayed into the village, fell into a 60-ft deep open well. Forest officials rushed to the spot. The rescue operation lasted for about three hours. The lion was not injured, said officials, adding the animal was later released in the Gir forest.

Times Of India Ahmedabad Edition
A14-year-old boy and a Neel Gai (Blue bull) in villages of Amreli district chased away lions, bravely. A bull saved its companion from the clutches of a lioness in a farm near Zaradiyo river by goring the big cat in its abdomen. Scared of the bull’s horns the lioness retraced its steps and ran.
In another incident two brothers saved their cattle near pilukiya river, when three lions attacked. While the elder brother pulled out the calf from the lions mouth, the younger one hit the lion with a thorny shrub stick and an axe handle.

10-01-2008
Lioness, cub die in Sakkarbagh zoo
Times Of India Ahmedabad Edition
Junagadh : The last 24 hours witnessed deaths of an old lioness and a cub died at the city’s zoo in Sakkarbagh. “Rukshamani, 17-years-old lioness, died of old age, whereas 16-month-old cub passed away after four months of suffering from nervine disorder,” said district forest officer V J Rana, who headed the team of three vet doctors that conducted post-mortem.
“We tried to inject Rukshamani with saline to breathe life into her, but in vain,” he added. “The cub was picked up by the forest officials 16 months ago, as his mother had abandoned him in Babara range of Gir wildlife sanctuary,” said Rana. “He was found in an injured condition with a damaged leg. The vets’ team conducted an operation on the cub and inserted a steel rod in its fractured leg. But incordination of the cub’s muscles had deteriorated its body conditions in the last three months, causing its death,”added Rana.

16-01-2008
Finally, Gir villagers get crematorium
Times Of India Ahmedabad Edition
Sasan-Gir(Junagadh) : High drama ensued for eight hours, when nearly 1,300 mourners from Sasan Gir carried the body of Ravji Makwana,70, to the range forest office here, on Tuesday.
The villagers had sought 1,000 metre of land for a crematorium near the village, which went unheeded. Not having a proper burial or a crematorium spot, they usually performed last month, they gave an ultimatum, that they would bury or cremate their next dead in the forest office premises itself.
So, when an elder man Ravji died on Tuesday morning, they promptly took the funeral procession to the office located in the village.
Officials tried to prevent them, but the villagers did not budge and stood their ground. Range forest officer B K Parmar finally conceded and spoke to his superiors. The villagers had also spoken to conservator of forests, Ramesh Katara. The intervention of Jasubhai Barad, MP and his discussion with chief conservator of forests Pradip Khanna, stalled the stalemate. It was resolved that a team of revenue and forest officials would soon meet and sort out the issue and allot a suitable site for the crematorim.
Unofficial sources, however, said that this unseemly row was the outcome of a long-standing tussle between revenue and forest departments. Sasan, being forest area, the forest department wanted to lord it over and deny any say to the revenue department.
Irked by this snub, some revenue officials prompted the villagers to prick the forest department. Thus a subtle departmental row erupted into a funereal saga in this quiet solitude of Sasan-Gir.

21-1-2008
Carcass of leopard found in Gir area
Indian Express By Sibte Husain Bukhari
Junagadh, January 19 The carcass of a female leopard was found lying on a castor oilseed farm on the outskirts of Sultanpur village under the Simar region of Jashadhar Range in the Gir (East) forest division.
The incident came to light on Friday, when farm owner Bhana Jadav found the carcass lying in his farm. He informed the forest officials.
According to Deputy Conservator of Forest (Gir East) J S Solanki, all the claws and organs of the animal were found intact. Solanki has ruled out any “foul play” into the incident.
A panel of two veterinary doctors perform a post mortem on the leopard. “According to the post-mortem report, illness was stated as the reason behind the death of the animal,” Solanki said.
Meanwhile, a group of lions, including two lionesses and a pair of cubs, were found roaming on the outskirts of Prempara village in revenue area. The group stormed into an agricultural farm of one Babubhai Rudani and killed one there.
Forest officials rushed to the spot for assessment and said the farmer will be paid compensation as per rule.
Incidentally, the incident took place on the outskirts of Prempara village, where five lions were electrocuted on October 19 last year. Prempara village is 3 km away from Dhari-Gir East forest headquarters.