Gir national park in Gujarat has artificial water pits for animals

Gir National Park, May 18 (ANI): With mercury rising each passing day and natural water sources drying up, forest rangers of Gir National Park in Gujarat are digging trenches in which water is filled periodically by tractor-driven tankers for the animals to quench their thirst.

Game Wardens of the Gir sanctuary have dug around 215 cavernous wide pits in the deep jungle in which water for the animals is filled periodicallyy tractor-tankers as almost all the water sources have dried up.

According to Sandeep Kumar Singh, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, the drive to create morertificial water holes will continue till June last when the monsoon sets in here.

"This is in fact the peak period when lots of water sources dry up.Although we have around seven perennial rivers in the Gir National Park and Sanctuary. But still there is the need of managing artificial water holes. So what we do is we have a lot of artificial water holes where our staff on a regular basis, particularly two times in a day, go and fill the water so that there is no problem of water for any wild animals," said Sandeep Kumar Singh.

Established in Circa 1965, the Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as Sasan-Gir, is the sole home of the majestic Asiatic lions.

Covering a total area of 1412 kilometres (about 258 kilometres for the fully protected area (the National Park) and 1153 kilometres for the Sanctuary), the area is considered to be one of the most important protected areas in Asia due to its supported species.

The April 2005 census recorded the lion-count in Gir at 359, an increase of 32 as compared to the previous figures of 2001. By Suresh Soni (ANI)