ગુજરાતી
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511 people including officers, staff and volunteers participated in Dhari Gir East forest area to estimate the lion population
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Work to estimate the lion population in 58 talukas of 11 districts of the state as per Asiatic Lion scenario
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Observation including time, GPS location, signs, photos, direction of movement for data recording
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Collection, compilation, extraction, recording of data with the help of GIS and statistical software
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The 10th Asiatic Lion Population Census is being conducted in two phases from May 13 to 2025 from Amreli, Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Morbi, Surendranagar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Porbandar and Botad districts.
The work of estimating the population of lions has been done under Dhari Gir East Forest Division (Area) in which 511 volunteers including Regional Officer, Zonal Officer, Enumerator, Supervisor have made a noble effort to provide their excellent services by joining the lion number estimation work.
For estimating the number of lions, according to the Asiatic Lion Scenario, the lion number estimation work has been done in an area of about 35,000 square kilometers in 8 areas, 32 zones and 112 sub-zones of 58 talukas of 11 districts of the state.
Under the 16th lion number estimation work, work has been done in groups of 3-10 villages in the forest area and outside the forest area. A time of 24 hours has been fixed for observation recording, in which initial assessment and final assessment work is being done.
Observation has been done for data recording including time, GPS location, signal, photo, direction of movement, necessary details related to this work are also being recorded. Data is being collected, compiled, extracted and plotted with the help of GIS and statistics software. Finally, after data analysis, the final estimated report of the lion population will be prepared. The Forest Department of the Government of Gujarat conducts lion census every five years. The first lion census in Gujarat was conducted in the year 1936. Modern technology is also being used for the estimation of the 16th Lion Census. It is worth mentioning that ‘Direct Bit Verification’ is a very useful method for estimating the population of Asiatic lions. This method provides almost 100 per cent accuracy due to its ease of statistical analysis and implementation and has almost no scope for standard error. This method, which has been in use for more than three decades, works effectively and conveniently in forests, grasslands, coastal areas and revenue areas. More than 2,900 manpower including field officers, zonal officers, sub-zonal officers, enumerators, assistant enumerators, supervisors and volunteers are working in 8 zones under the 16th Lion Population Estimation-2025.
Under the guidance of the Chief Minister of the State Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel and the leadership of the Minister of Forest and Environment Shri Mulubhai Bera and Minister of State Shri Mukesh Patel, various lion conservation works have been done by the Forest Department, as a result of which the lion population is gradually increasing due to lion breeding in the state.
According to the estimated data received, a total of 304 lions including adult males, females, cubs and cubs were recorded in the lion census conducted in the year 1995, 327 in the year 2001, 359 in the year 2005, 411 in the year 2010, 523 in the year 2015 and finally 674 in the year 2020.
Asiatic Lion Census to be conducted in two phases during May
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Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Morbi,
Surendranagar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Amreli, Porbandar and Botad districts
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Ø The first lion census was conducted in Gujarat in the year 1936
Ø Along with the counting, details like movement direction of the lion, sex, age, identification marks, GPS location, group structure etc. will also be recorded
Ø About 3 thousand trained volunteers including regional, regional and sub-regional officers will be involved in the census
Ø Modern technology like high resolution cameras, radio collars, e-GujForest application and GIS software will be used
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The Forest Department of the Government of Gujarat conducts the census of lions every five years. Under this, the 16th Population Estimation of Asiatic Lions-2025 will be conducted in two phases from tomorrow i.e. 10 to 13 May. In which the primary population estimate will be conducted from 10 to 11 May and the final population estimate will be conducted from 12 to 13 May. This population estimate will be done in 35 thousand square kilometers of 58 talukas of 11 districts of the state, where lions are present, i.e. Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Morbi, Surendranagar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Amreli, Porbandar and Botad. The area will be surveyed by ‘Direct Bit Verification’ method.
The state government is making continuous efforts for the conservation of Asiatic lions by setting up ecology development committees at the village level, appointing wildlife friends, organizing nature education camps at regular intervals, monitoring and taking care of the flora and fauna of Gir and taking the cooperation of skilled manpower as well as local people, as a result of which their number is increasing continuously in each census of lions.
Launched by the Central Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendrabhai Modi
The Asiatic lion has been made the logo of the “Make in India” campaign
While the Forest Department has also decided to increase the number of lions, under which since last year, Barda Sanctuary is being developed as an alternative shelter to keep lions.
As a result of the lion population estimation, assessment and conservation works being done regularly by the Forest Department under the guidance of Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel and the leadership of Forest and Environment Minister Shri Mulubhai Bera and Minister of State Shri Mukesh Patel, the number of lions in the state is gradually increasing. The first lion census in the state was done in the year 1936. According to the estimated data received, a total of 304 lions including adult males, females, cubs and children were recorded in the lion census done in the year 1995. Similarly, a total of 327 lions were recorded in the year 2001, 359 in the year 2005, 411 in the year 2010, 523 in the year 2015 and finally 674 lions in the year 2020.
Direct Bit Verification Method:-
Direct bit verification is a very useful method for estimating the population of Asiatic lions. This method provides almost 100 per cent accuracy due to the ease of statistical analysis and implementation and the margin of standard error remains almost zero. This method, in use for more than three decades, works effectively and conveniently in forests, grasslands, coastal areas and revenue areas. The entire area will be divided into a series of units like region, zone, sub-zone and about 3,000 volunteers including regional, regional and sub-regional officers, enumerators, assistant enumerators, inspectors will count the lions. They will be given prescribed sheets and maps of their assigned areas to record and verify the lions. Details like time of observation, direction of movement, sex, age, any other identification marks on the body, GPS location, group composition etc. will be recorded in these sheets.
Use of modern technology
Various technological tools like high resolution cameras, camera traps will be used to identify individual lions. Some of the lions have been fitted with radio collars, which will help in knowing the location of the individual lion as well as its group. The e-GujForest application will also be used to help in real-time data entry of lion sightings, which will increase accuracy and efficiency by incorporating GPS location and photos. Additionally, GIS software will be used to mark survey areas and develop detailed maps to track lion movements, distribution patterns and habitat use, said a press release from Gir forest in Junagadh.
