Green Status Assessment of Asiatic Lions

GS3 – Environment

Context:

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has released its first-ever Green Status Assessment, categorizing the Asiatic Lion as ‘Largely Depleted’. This evaluation complements the IUCN Red List by focusing on the recovery and ecological functionality of species.

About Lions

• Lions are the second-largest big cat species globally.
• They are divided into two recognized subspecies:
  • African Lion
  • Asiatic Lion (also known as the Persian or Indian Lion)

What is the IUCN Green Status?

• It is a global framework designed to assess the recovery and conservation impact of species.
• Unlike the Red List, which indicates extinction risk, the Green Status evaluates how well a species performs its ecological role and how far it is from full recovery.

Meaning of ‘Largely Depleted’

• A species classified as “Largely Depleted” has lost most of its ecological functionality across its historical range.
• The main causes include habitat fragmentation, human interference, and population decline.

Report Highlights

• IUCN Green Status: Largely Depleted
• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable

Updated Subspecies Classification (2017):

• Panthera leo leo: Found in West & Central Africa and India
• Panthera leo melanochaita: Found in East & Southern Africa

Regional Extinction:

• Lions have disappeared from vast areas of their former range, including North Africa, Southwest Asia, and much of India, except for Gir Forest.

Human Impacts:

• Human-induced challenges such as urban encroachment, habitat fragmentation, and conflict have restricted the lion’s natural behavior and movement.

Conservation Success Stories

• Notable conservation efforts in India, South Africa, and some parts of West and Central Africa have helped prevent local extinction and stabilize lion populations in those areas.

Asiatic Lions in India – Present Status

• Legal Protection: Listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA)
• Current Population:
  • Around 700 lions in and around the Gir Forest, Gujarat
  • Nearly 300 live in human-dominated areas beyond Gir, including coastal zones like Diu
• Diet: Includes chital, sambar, and domestic livestock
• Adaptation: Well-adjusted to human-modified landscapes

Human-Wildlife Coexistence

• Despite living close to human settlements, lion attacks on people are rare, thanks to cultural tolerance and a deep-rooted tradition of coexistence.

Key Threats to Asiatic Lions

• Canine Distemper Virus (CDV):
  • A deadly viral disease (a type of Morbillivirus)
  • Attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems of carnivores
  • In 2018, over 20 lions died in Gir due to CDV
• Other Threats Include:
  • Inbreeding depression
  • Ageing population
  • Territorial conflicts
  • Accidental deaths (e.g., falling into open wells or vehicle collisions)
  • Restricted to a single habitat (Gir Forest)

Neglect of Lion Translocation to Kuno

• Despite strong scientific backing and repeated recommendations (starting from the Board for Wildlife in 1952, reaffirmed by the Supreme Court in 2013), the proposed relocation of lions to Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary remains unimplemented.
• This neglect severely undermines efforts to establish a second free-ranging population, which is crucial for the species’ long-term survival.