Ahmedabad, Aug 9 (PTI) The official Gujarat government function to celebrate World Lion Day will be organised at Barda wildlife sanctuary, which has emerged as an important habitat and a secondary home
for Asiatic lions, in Devbhoomi Dwarka district on Sunday.
Declared a sanctuary in 1979, Barda was once the hunting ground of the Porbandar and Jamnagar royal families, which is now transformed into an important habitat for the Asiatic lion, according to an official release.
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will participate in the celebrations at Bhanvad taluka in Devbhoomi Dwarka district, one of 11 districts in the Saurashtra region with lion populations.
The ten other districts where the celebration will be organised include Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Morbi, Surendranagar, Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Amreli, Porbandar and Botad.
Lakhs of students from schools and colleges will participate in the Barda programme online.
As many as 18.63 lakh students had participated in the World Lion Day programme in Gujarat in 2024.
Gujarat started organising the 'World Lion Day' celebrations in 2013. The state holds the World Record India in 2016, India Book of Records and Asia Book of Records in 2017, World Book of Records in 2019 and 2022, the release said.
Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, locally known as "Bardo," is a significant biodiversity-rich region, spanning the districts of Porbandar and Devbhumi Dwarka.
It has been identified as a core landscape under Project Lion for habitat diversification.
"The Barda region is emerging as a second habitat for lions. Covering a total area of 192.31 sq. km, Barda sanctuary witnessed the natural arrival and settlement of an adult male Asiatic lion in 2023- the first since 1879. Since then, the lion population in the area has grown to around 17, comprising six adults and 11 cubs," the government said.
Unlike many protected areas, Barda records 100 per cent lion habitation within its boundaries, underscoring the success of habitat protection strategies, the government stated, adding that advanced tools, such as radio collars and real-time movement tracking, have made lion monitoring more effective.
The government has recently introduced jungle safaris in Sasan Gir, creating new employment opportunities, with 2,271 tourists availing the facility by March 2025.
The government has allocated 248 hectares of land in the Barda region, alongside Devaliya and Ambardi, for the development of safari projects at an estimated cost of Rs 60 crore, with a provision of Rs 10 crore for eco tourism development in Barda.
As per the lion census conducted in May 2025, Gujarat's lion population rose by 32 per cent since 2020, from 674 to 891.
Between 2007-08 and 2024-25, over 9.61 lakh visitors enjoyed close-up views of Asiatic lions at Gir, Devaliya, and Ambardi.
The government stated that more than 50 per cent of lions reside outside the Gir protected area, underscoring the effectiveness of habitat expansion and decentralised conservation under Project Lion.
It stated that comprehensive conservation measures, including grassland restoration, prey base enhancement, and technology-enabled wildlife tracking, have significantly improved the sanctuary's carrying capacity.
"This progress aligns with the broader objectives of Project Lion, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to expand lion habitats beyond Gir, ensure health security for wildlife, and promote long-term ecological sustainability," it said. PTI KA PD NSK
