Asiatic lion population in Gujarat up 70% in a decade to 891

New Delhi: The Asiatic lion population in western India has increased by 70% over the last decade, with their rangeland also expanding by 15%.

In the Greater Gir Landscape in Gujarat, the animals now number 891, up from 523 in 2015, according to the 16th Asiatic Lion Population Estimation conducted in May 2025.

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav presented the findings ahead of World Lion Day on August 10. The results show a 32% growth in six years.

Nearly 1,000 individuals is a sharp recovery from the 60-80 lions estimated in Gir in the 1980s. Yadav said extensive conservation efforts, including rebuilding prey populations of nilgai, sambar, spotted deer and wild pigs, helped drive the increase.

The lions’ range has expanded from about 30,000 sq km in 2020 to nearly 35,000 sq km across 11 districts. In 1990, their range was just 20% of that figure.

In another milestone, lions have naturally recolonized Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, where they had disappeared in the 19th century. Since arriving in 2023, 17 lions now live there year-round.

The Asiatic lion, smaller than its African counterpart, now exists only in India.