PARLIAMENT QUESTION: POPULATION OF ASIATIC LIONS IN GIR FORESTS

• Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica) is endemic to India, surviving as a single wild subpopulation in and around the Gir landscape of Gujarat.
• Population rose from 674 (2020) to 891 (2025) as per the 16th Lion Population Estimation, communicated to Parliament on 05 February 2026 by MoEFCC.
• Examinable for Prelims (species, IUCN status, protected areas, schemes) and Mains GS-III (biodiversity conservation, human-wildlife conflict).