240 lions, 370 leopards died in Gujarat in 2 years: Forest Minister

At least 240 lions, among them 123 cubs, died in Gujarat over the last two years, and 26 of these fatalities were due to unnatural causes, state Forest Minister Mulubhai Bera informed the legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

Responding to a query by senior Congress MLA Arjun Modhwadia during Question Hour, Bera said 370 leopards, including 100 cubs, also died in two years -- 2021 and 2022 -- in the state.

Of the 240 lion deaths, 124 were reported in 2021 and 116 in 2022. In case of leopards, 179 died in 2021 and 191 last year, the minister said in a written reply in the Assembly, which is having its Budget session.

As many as 214 lions succumbed to natural causes, while 26 fatalities were due to unnatural causes such as the big cats getting hit by vehicles or falling into open wells, he said.

Among leopards, 256 deaths were due to natural causes and 114 fatalities were attributed to unnatural reasons, Bera said.

The state government has taken various steps to prevent unnatural deaths of big cats such as appointment of veterinary doctors and introduction of an ambulance service for timely intervention and treatment of lions and other wild animals, the minister said in the House.

Other measures include building speed-breakers and installing signboards on roads passing through sanctuary areas, regular foot patrolling in forests, building parapet walls for open wells near forests, putting up fences on both sides of the railway track near Gir Wildlife Sanctuary and radio-collaring Asiatic lions to track their movement, he said.

As per the last census conducted in June 2020, Gujarat is home to 674 Asiatic lions.

The state is the world's last abode of Asiatic lions.