If you happen to be few of those people who are the happiest when they are with nature and wildlife, this is one trip you would love to take. It is to the western state of Gujarat in India which is today, the only place in the world where you can find the free population of Asiatic Lions.
Courtesy NoamC from Flickr
The last bastion
How a part of India, namely the Sasan Gir National park in Gujarat state, became the only bastion of the Asiatic lion is a story oft repeated and commonly known. Rising human population, need for resources, hunting, deforestation, and habitat destruction have all played their part in restricting the king of the jungle’s terrain from a continent to a protected area of around 1421 sq Km..
But the good news is the lions are happy here. There population has increased manifold from a statistics of approximately 100 taken a century ago to more than 400 at present. Indeed, the Gir protected area has become a very stable ecosystem with tremendous regenerating, self-supporting and sustaining power due to its rich and diverse flora and fauna.
The distant cousins
What makes Asiatic lions a prized lot is because they are one of the two surviving sub-species of the lion, the other being the more popular African lions. These distant cousins have larger pride sizes, larger manes and absence of belly fat as compared to the Asiatic lions. But apart from these physical dissimilarities, the characteristic behaviour of both are very much alike. And visiting Gir can actually give you a nice oppurtunity to observe the similarities and the differences from close quarters.
Easy encounter
The best thing about this park is the ease with which you can sight a lion and many other creatures of the jungle.
There are few very good reasons for that,
- The park area is small as compared to the vast terrains of Africa, which is a more exotic choice for a safari.
- The lion to ground area ratio makes the probability of sighting higher.
- If you are lucky enough, you can catch a glimpse of peacocks, spotted dears, langur monkeys, marsh crocodiles, vultures, eagles, antelopes, blue musk deers, hyenas, wild boars, leopards and a lion all in the matter of couple of hours!
In fact, the Gir protected area boasts not only of a decent Asiatic lion population but also the largest population of marsh crocodiles in the country and another 38 species of mammals, around 300 species of birds, 37 species of reptiles and more than 2000 species of insects.
Spotted Dear, courtesy Raveesh Vyas from Flickr
The tribes
What you can also find here are the Maldharis and the Siddhis – two diverse human tribes who form an integral part of the Gir ecosystem.
Maldharis are basically nomadic herdsmen who have lived in the Gir region for centuries. The literal meaning of Maldhari is “owner of animal stock” and it is this livestock that has been the staple for many lions of the area.
The Siddhis are something of a novelty. They are an ethnic Indian group of Black African descent who have settled in the area. It is a delight to watch these people who look African but converse in Gujarati, the local Indian language, eat rice and sing and dance to the traditional African tunes.
Insider’s tips
- Sasan Gir National Park is in Junagadh district of Gujarat state in India. The nearest Airport is Keshod Airport, 90 km from Sasan Gir and nearest International Airport is in Ahmedabad 408 km from Gir.
- Officially the park is closed during the rainy season and open from mid October till mid June, but you ask any forest guide and he will recommend a trip during the hot summer months of India, because it is then when due to scarcity of water in the core area, the animals come out and can be sighted pretty easily.
Playtime! Courtesy d ha rm e sh from Flickr
- The park tourist area has been divided into different routes and although the chance of sighting on these routes is pretty much the same, route number 3 offers more varied ambiences with the dry forest, green patches and a lake being covered. This allows chance of sighting the lion, marsh crocodiles and also with luck by your side – the leopards.
- Gir is a dry, decidious forest, so prefer wearing clothes in the shades of green, brown or grey for easy camouflage in the jungle and not scaring the animals away.
- Safaris are held twice everyday in the wee hours of the morning and evening after four. While morning time is when the hunt is over and the lions prepare themselves to rest for the day, the evenings are when most animals come out for their nocturnal routines. Do take both the safris if you can for experiencing the varied hues of jungle life.
- Carry snacks, water, scarf, sunglasses, caps and wear comfortable shoes.
