Asiatic Lion Population in Gir National Park Reaches 891 in 2025

With the Asiatic Lion numbers increasing from 674 in 2020 to 891 in 2025, this is yet another tale of conservation success for India. The increase in population was shared by the Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh, in a written response to Parliament in the Rajya Sabha. The growth in population is an indicator of successful wildlife management throughout Gir and the larger Gir landscape found in Gujarat.

According to the Press Information Bureau, lions have previously been shown to naturally extend their range beyond core forest locations into notified forest areas, corridors of rivers, and and revenue wastelands. Habitat management, research and development of wildlife resources, and participation of local communities in conservation activities has effectively enhanced the only naturally existing population of lions in the Gir Lion Sanctuary of Gujarat's western India.

Steady Growth of Lions in the Gir Landscape

Lion Population in Gir National Park Gujarat

The steady increase in size signifies a resurgence of the species among the total population of Asiatic lions inhabiting the Gir ecosystem. Conservation officials attribute this increase in size to both successful natural reproduction and work done to manage and structure the satellite populations of lions located throughout the broader Gir area.
The lion population is no longer confined to forests boundaries and now inhabit connected landscapes, ensuring genetic diversity and reduced territorial pressure within core zones such as Gir Forest National Park.

Science-Driven Monitoring and Protection

A comprehensive satellite telemetry study to understand movement, ecology, land use and the use of corridors.
The establishment of a high-tech monitoring unit to provide real-time radio telemetry data at Sasan Gir National Park in 2019.
Identifying key corridors and seasonal movement routes enables better planning for improved protection.

Collectively, these programs allow for data-driven decisions rather than being restricted to reactive responses.

Participatory Community Approaches to Conservation

Asiatic Lion Population in Gir National Park Reaches 891 in 2025

Local community participation is at the heart of achieving conservation success.
Deployment of Vanya Prani Mitras and wildlife trackers to alert villages about lion movement.
Eco-development initiatives and nature education camps promoting both the existence of wildlife and peaceful coexistence.

These strategies have greatly reduced the level of conflict and created stewardship for supportive communities.

Supporting Habitat Diversification and Providing Additional Habitats for the Asiatic Lion.
Restoration of grassland and enhancement of preybase across the regions of Gir and Greater Gir.
Development of Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, which is acting as a second home for the Asiatic lion.
Improvements in water resources to aid in reducing movement of lions to areas where there is human habitation.

These actions will provide for the successful long-term dispersal of the entire Asiatic Lion population from Gir, and support the future sustainability of the Asiatic Lion population in Gir.

A Dominating Future for Asiatic Lions

Asiatic Lion Population in Gir National Park Reaches 891

The increasing lion population in India demonstrates that through continuous policy development, scientific management and working in conjunction with surrounding communities, a species at risk can return to health. The total Asiatic lions in Gir, with 891 individuals currently on the move within connected landscapes, are viewed as a global model for the conservation of large carnivores within the landscape of Sasan Gir National Park and surrounding areas.