Gujarat Identifies 11 Key ‘Lion Corridors’, Ensuring Natural Habitat and Safe Movement for Lions from Gir to Barda

Ahmedabad: Gujarat’s pride, the Asiatic lion, is no longer confined to the Gir sanctuary alone the big cats are now roaming freely across the entire Saurashtra region. To ensure this natural habitat expansion and safe movement of lions, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has identified 11 major ‘lion corridors’ across the state. These corridors connect the core Gir forest to other sanctuaries and suitable forest areas, providing secure habitat and passage not just for lions but also for other carnivores such as leopards.

11 Key Lion Corridors Identified by WII

The major movement routes identified during the study are:

• Gir – Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary
• Gir Veraval – Sutrapada Corridor
• Gir – Kodinar Corridor
• Gir – Rajula Corridor
• Gir – Mitiyala – Palitana Corridor
• Gir – Shetrunji Corridor
• Palitana – Mahuva Corridor
• Palitana – Bhavnagar Corridor
• Shetrunji – Hingolgadh Corridor
• Hingolgadh – Rampara Corridor
• Gir – Barda Corridor

Permanent Lion Habitats Established in Girnar, Paniya and Mitiyala

According to information shared by the Union Minister of State for Environment, lions are safely moving from one location to another using natural and semi-natural routes. Thanks to the protected areas surrounding Gir and the connected forest corridors, lions have now successfully settled in areas such as Mitiyala, Paniya and Girnar.

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To protect and promote the natural habitat of wildlife, the central government has provided financial assistance to Gujarat under the ‘Development of Wildlife Habitats’ (CSS-DWH) scheme. The funds allocated by the Centre are as follows:

Conservation and restoration work on all these corridors is continuing under the approved statutory Wildlife Management Plan. With the lion population steadily rising, these corridors are set to prove critical for long-term conservation efforts.