With Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the lion safari at Gir Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat’s Junagadh district on Monday (March 3, 2025), the spotlight of the wild world is rightfully on the Asiatic lions. His visit, part of a broader Gujarat tour, brought renewed attention to the world’s only wild population of Asiatic lions. But beyond the symbolism, was this a real step forward for lion conservation or just a long-overdue course correction?

First, the good news. PM Modi’s Gir safari coincided with a major funding announcement: the Centre has approved Rs 2,900 crore for Project Lion. The announcement came during the seventh session of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) at Sasan Gir, the sanctuary’s headquarters. The NBWL — the highest body for wildlife conservation in India — comprises 47 members, including the Prime Minister and the Minister of Environment, state wildlife officials, NGOs and other stakeholders. The PM, in fact, serves as the ex-officio chairperson of the NBWL.

The latest initiative, covering 30,000 sq km across 53 talukas in nine districts, aims to bolster habitat protection, monitoring, and healthcare. A National Referral Centre for Wildlife and a high-tech tracking facility in Sasan have been established, expected to strengthen conservation efforts. After years of slow progress, this financial push brings much-needed momentum to the long-overlooked project.

While the funding is fresh (and a much-welcome move), the challenges faced by Asiatic lions are far from new. For years, conservationists have been crying themselves hoarse about habitat loss, disease outbreaks, and genetic stagnation.

Taking into account the lions’ plight, the Supreme........

© News9Live