<p>Ahmedabad: The once-in-five-year lion estimation exercise will be conducted in two phases from May 10 to 13, covering an area spread over 35,000 sq km, in 11 districts of Saurashtra. About 3,000 trained volunteers including regional, zonal, and sub-zonal officers will be part of the census, the state government said on Monday.</p><p>The lion census has been conducted every five years since its inception in 1936. This is going to be the 16th such census. </p><p>The two-phase exercise will be carried out in 58 talukas of 11 districts where lions have marked their presence over the past decades. The area will be mapped using the 'Direct Bit Verification' method.</p>.669 Asiatic lions died in past 5 years, maximum in 2024: Govt data.<p>According to the state government, this method gives 100 percent accuracy as it simplifies the process of data analysis and the margin of error remains negligible. This method, which has been in practice for more than three decades, works effectively and conveniently in forests, grasslands, coastal areas, and revenue areas.</p><p>"The entire area will be divided into hierarchical units like region, zone, sub-zone with about 3,000 volunteers including regional and zonal. Sub-zonal officers, enumerators, assistant enumerators, and inspectors will be conducting the census of lions. They will be given prescribed sheets and maps of their assigned areas to record and verify the lions. These sheets will record details like time of observation, direction of movement, sex, age, any other identifying marks on the body, GPS location, group composition etc," the government said in a release.</p><p>Along with the lions' population, details such as their movement direction, sex, age, identification marks, GPS location, the group composition among others will also be recorded. High-resolution cameras, radio collars, e-GujForest application, and GIS will be used to track the wild cats that were once restricted to Gir Sanctuary. </p><p>According to data, a total of 304 lions including adult males, females, cubs and adults were recorded in the census conducted in 1995. In 2001, their population was estimated to be 327, which rose to 359 in 2005. In 2010, the population was 411 which increased to 523 in 2015. </p><p>In the last census, a total of 674 lions were recorded.</p>
<p>Ahmedabad: The once-in-five-year lion estimation exercise will be conducted in two phases from May 10 to 13, covering an area spread over 35,000 sq km, in 11 districts of Saurashtra. About 3,000 trained volunteers including regional, zonal, and sub-zonal officers will be part of the census, the state government said on Monday.</p><p>The lion census has been conducted every five years since its inception in 1936. This is going to be the 16th such census. </p><p>The two-phase exercise will be carried out in 58 talukas of 11 districts where lions have marked their presence over the past decades. The area will be mapped using the 'Direct Bit Verification' method.</p>.669 Asiatic lions died in past 5 years, maximum in 2024: Govt data.<p>According to the state government, this method gives 100 percent accuracy as it simplifies the process of data analysis and the margin of error remains negligible. This method, which has been in practice for more than three decades, works effectively and conveniently in forests, grasslands, coastal areas, and revenue areas.</p><p>"The entire area will be divided into hierarchical units like region, zone, sub-zone with about 3,000 volunteers including regional and zonal. Sub-zonal officers, enumerators, assistant enumerators, and inspectors will be conducting the census of lions. They will be given prescribed sheets and maps of their assigned areas to record and verify the lions. These sheets will record details like time of observation, direction of movement, sex, age, any other identifying marks on the body, GPS location, group composition etc," the government said in a release.</p><p>Along with the lions' population, details such as their movement direction, sex, age, identification marks, GPS location, the group composition among others will also be recorded. High-resolution cameras, radio collars, e-GujForest application, and GIS will be used to track the wild cats that were once restricted to Gir Sanctuary. </p><p>According to data, a total of 304 lions including adult males, females, cubs and adults were recorded in the census conducted in 1995. In 2001, their population was estimated to be 327, which rose to 359 in 2005. In 2010, the population was 411 which increased to 523 in 2015. </p><p>In the last census, a total of 674 lions were recorded.</p>