Gir Forest
India · Asia
About
Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as Sasan Gir, is a national park and wildlife sanctuary in Gujarat, India. It was established in 1965 in the erstwhile Nawab of Junagarh's private hunting area, with a total area of 1,410.30 km2 (544.52 sq mi), of which 258.71 km2 (99.89 sq mi) is fully protected as a national park and 1,151.59 km2 (444.63 sq mi) as wildlife sanctuary. It is part of the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion.
The 14th Asiatic Lion Census 2015 conducted in May 2015 noted the population as 523 (up 27% compared to the previous census in 2010). The population was 411 in 2010 and 359 in 2005. The lion population in Junagadh District was 268 individuals, 44 in Gir Somnath District, 174 in Amreli District, and 37 in Bhavnagar district. There are 109 males, 201 females and 213 cubs.
Gir National Park is closed from 16 June to 15 October each year during the monsoon season.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.