Thread: Gir Forest National Park

The Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is an Indian animal conservation park. The park is also known as Sasan-Gir. The park is known worldwide to be the sole home of the pure Asiatic Lions.

The Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary measures an approximately 258 km² that includes the entire protected area and the 1153 km² is kept for the sanctuary. The area has come to be known as a really important protected area in Asia because of the species it supports.

The Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary was established in the year, 1965. It has a total area of 1412 km². The park is located about 65 km in the south-east direction of Junagadh city. It lies in the Junagadh district located in the Kathiawar peninsula of the state of Gujarat in India.

The ecosystem of the Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary has a diverse flora and fauna. The area remains protected because of the efforts made by the Government forest department, NGOs and wildlife activists.

The forest area of The Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary and the lions living there were declared “under protection". This declaration was made in the early 1900's. It was done by the Nawab who ruled over the princely state of Junagadh. This initiative worked as a huge step in the conservation of the Lions in the country. It was done due to the reason that the population had gone down to only 15 because of the killing of the lions done at a large scale. .

The April 2005 census done at the Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary recorded the lion-count in Gir at a total of 359. This was a significant increase than the 337 as in the year 2001.

I would want to go to all these national parks some day and see it myself how they maintain it.. also the small zoos... like the byculla one.. only if i could devote that kind of time and energy...