Indian scientist finds new way of counting Gir's Lions in bid to increase their population

Wildlife conservationists have mand to bring population of Asiatic lions from only 50 to an estimated 500 in Gir Forest of Gujarat, India. Accurate estimation of existing number is w required in order to come up with next conservation efforts to increase ir presence in forest. However, with conventional ways of monitoring, especially through total counts, re is a possibility of missing out certain lions while double-counting rest. Also, it tends to provide limited information on spatial density, reby providing unreliable data.

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Counting lion population

However, in a recent study, researcher Keshab Gogoi and his colleagues from Wildlife Institute of India have come up with an alternative way to monitor population of se Asiatic lions. y have made use of permanent body marks and whisker patterns to be more accurate in identifying actual lion population in Gir Forests. method will make use of a computer program which will help analyse data using a mamatical modelling method called 'spatially explicit capture-recapture' which will give an estimate lion density. Indian scientist and his associates have also assessed prey density and or such factors that may have an influence on lion density.

Keshab Gogoi and his team have also analysed factors that impacted lion’s density in a specific area. y identified 67 individual lions out of 368 lion sightings within 725 square kilometres of Gir Forests, which revealed an overall density of about 8.53 lions per 100 square kilometres.

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Lions prefer staying away from tourists

ir findings also suggested that prey density isn’t really a factor for density of lions in a particular area. In fact, re was a larger density of lions in flat valley locations instead of rocky and elevated areas. study also found out that density was much less around areas and sites where food was usually placed to lure m out for tourists to view m.

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Im credits: Unsplash | Arleen Wiese & Researchgate

(with inputs from ncies)