Central team to probe Gir lions death to leave for Gujarat tomorrow

New Delhi, Apr 13 (UNI) A central team to probe the recent reports on the deaths of highly endangered Asiatic lions in Gir forest of Gujarat will leave for the state tomorrow.

The team comprising of members of a committee recently constituted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority under the Ministry of Environment and Forests will stay for three to four days to make a spot appraisal of the protection strategy, a senior official in the Ministry of Environment told UNI.

The committee was formed after about 16 lions were reported dead, quite a number of them possibly due to poaching, between February and March.

The Gir forest, which is the only abode of the Asiatic lions, has now 359 of the species left as per the last head count done in 2005. The next census is due in 2009.

However, an early headcount was not ruled out. The summer season is considered suitable for the headcount because sightings are easy as vegetation becomes thin and there are fewer watering holes.

The committee will look into possible causes of the death --natural, disease, poaching--and study the managerial constraints besides, steps taken to reduce human-animal conflict in the national park, the official said.

Regional Deputy Directors (Wildlife) Western Region Meeta Banerjee and Regional Deputy Directors (Wildlife) Northern Region Santosh Tiwari are members on the committee, which has Joint Director (Wildlife), Ministry of Environment and Forests Pramod Krishnan as Member Convener.

The committee would also recommend measures to improve the situation.

UNI