The Madhya Pradesh government has sought “immediate” transfer of Asiatic lions from Gujarat to one of its sanctuaries saying the people of the State treat tigers as “deities” and will soon develop a cultural bond with lions too.
Translocation of lions from Gujarat’s Gir to M.P.’s Palpur Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary has been delayed by over three years despite a Supreme Court order. In a recent communication to the Centre, the M.P. government had rejected all concerns raised by the Gujarat administration over not giving it lions.
It had said: “M.P. is a very nature-friendly State, where man and animal share the same space in and around the protected areas. In many of areas where there is no forest, blackbucks stay in agricultural fields. Even then, human settlements around the area really do not show much antagonism towards them.”
“The Bagh Dev is a common sight in many of human settlements in and around tiger reserves of Madhya Pradesh, wherein people give a deity status to the tigers around and adore them. Therefore, once the lions are reintroduced at Kuno, the cultural bond between lions and human beings will get established the natural way,” the M.P. government said in its reply to the issues raised by the Gujarat administration.
In the letter to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, the M.P. government cited the 2015 floods in parts of Amreli Bhavnagar area of the State, which “resulted in washing out of more than 1,600 nilgais, 90 spotted deer and 10 Asiatic lions”.
“Hence, I request you to immediately kick-start the execution of the Supreme Court’s order dated April 15, 2013,” it added.
The copy of the communication and other details were received in response to an RTI query filed by wildlife activist Ajay Dubey, who is at the forefront of the campaign to move lions to Madhya Pradesh. The reintroduction plan of lions in Madhya Pradesh had faced stiff opposition from Gujarat. In April 2013, the Supreme Court had ordered shifting of some of lions to Kuno. The Court had directed the Environment Ministry to shift them by October, 2013. The Palpur Kuno sanctuary, under Sheopur district of Gwalior division, has been chosen as the second home for Gir’s Asiatic lions. — PTI
