Efforts to save the Asiatic lion from extinction have suffered a grievous blow with five lions being electrocuted near the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat. It appears that the big cats – three lionesses and two cubs - strayed into an electrically charged barbed wire fence put up by a farmer to protect his crop and cattle from wild animals. Eight of the 32 lions that died in the Gir Sanctuary over the past year were killed by poachers, six were electrocuted, five fell into open wells, one was hit by a vehicle and 12 others were found dead. The Asiatic lion is an endangered species and the Gir sanctuary is the only place where it is found. Wildlife conservationists say that the sanctuary must have a minimum viable lion population of 500 to ensure that the species is not wiped out. But the Gir has some 300 lions only and the number is rapidly dwindling. The death of 32 lions over a year is therefore cause for serious concern.

Wildlife is disappearing in India and several species are dwindling or on the verge of extinction because man has encroached into the traditional habitat of animals. Forests have been converted into cultivable land or settlements for human habitation, depriving wild animals of space to roam free. The Gir sanctuary has a railway line and five state highways running through it. At least a dozen lions have been run over by trains and speeding vehicles over the past decade. A temple in the reserve draws lakhs of pilgrims every year and their presence unsettles the wild animals. The Gir has around 8,000 uncovered wells and several animals, including 24 lions, have fallen into these wells over the past six years and died.

Lions in the Gir are under serious threat from man. This prompted the idea of setting up a second home for these lions at Kuno-Palpur in Madhya Pradesh. But eleven years after the proposal was first put forward it remains only on paper. The Gujarat government has refused to release any of its lions to the new reserve as it wants Gujarat to remain the only home for the Asiatic lion. On the one hand it refuses to take robust steps to protect the lion, on the other it prevents others from acting to save this endangered species. This obstructionist approach must go if the Asiatic lion is to be saved.