Lok Sabha Question No. 2952 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-28
Subject: Lion Safaris
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: P.R. SUNDARAM, DHANANJAY BHIMRAO MAHADIK, JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN, HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT, RAJEEV SHANKARRAO SATAV, VIJAYSINH MOHITE PATIL, SUPRIYA SADANAND SULE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2952

TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.12.2018

## Lion Safaris

2952.   SHRI P.R. SUNDARAM:

SHRI DHANANJAYMAHADIK:

DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN:

DR. HEENAVIJAYKUMAR GAVIT:

SHRI SATAV RAJEEV:

SHRI MOHITE PATILVIJAYSINHSHANKARRAO:

SHRIMATI SUPRIYASULE:

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) the number of lion safaris conducted in the country, State/UT-wise;
- (b) the details of protected areas for lion habitat, State/UT-wise;
- (c) whether the Government has any data on the number of humans killed by lions during each of the last three years and the current year and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has formulated any criteria for providing compensation to the kins of the victims killed by lions, if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether the Government proposes to launch Lion Project on the lines of Tiger project and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) the amount allocated/sanctioned and utilized for conservation of lions during each of the last three years and the current year?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a) State Government of Gujarat conducts two Lion Safaris in the State. One Safari is being conducted  at  'Devaliya  Interpretation  Centre'  and  another  at  'Ambardi  Interpretation Centre' in Gujarat.

Lion  Safaris  are  also  conducted  in  Zoos  which  are  being  managed  by  Central  Zoo Authority (CZA). State/UT-wise list of Lion Safaris operating in various Zoos recognised under Section 38-H of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 are as follows:

|   S. No. | State / UT          | Zoo having Lion Safari                                     | Location             | Category   |
|----------|---------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------|------------|
|        1 | Chhattisgarh        | Nandanvan Jungle Safari                                    | Naya Raipur          | Medium Zoo |
|        2 | Dadra& Nagar Haveli | Lion Safari - Vasona                                       | Vasona               | Mini Zoo   |
|        3 | Gujarat             | Ambardi Wildlife Interpretation Zone (Ambardi Safari Park) | Dhari                | Mini Zoo   |
|        4 | Karnataka           | Bannerghatta Biological Park                               | Bengaluru            | Large Zoo  |
|        5 | Karnataka           | Tiger &Lion Safari                                         | Shimoga              | Small Zoo  |
|        6 | Kerala              | Lion Safari Park at Nayyar Dam (Nayyar Mini Zoo)           | Thirunvananthapura m | Mini Zoo   |
|        7 | Maharashtra         | Sanjay Gandhi National Park- Zoo                           | Borivali             | Small Zoo  |
|        8 | Odisha              | Nandankanan Biological Park                                | Bhubaneswar          | Large Zoo  |
|        9 | Punjab              | Mahendra Chaudhury Zoological Park                         | Chhatbir, Chandigarh | Large Zoo  |
|       10 | Tamil Nadu          | Arignar Anna Zoological Park                               | Chennai              | Large Zoo  |
|       11 | Telangana           | Nehru Zoological Park                                      | Hyderabad            | Large Zoo  |
|       12 | Uttar Pradesh       | Lion Breeding Centre and Multiple Safari Park, Etawah      | Etawah               | Mini Zoo   |

(b) The details of Protected Areas for Lion habitat in Gujarat State is as under:

|   S. No. | Name of Protected Areas     |   Area (in sq.km) |   Year of declaration of PA |
|----------|-----------------------------|-------------------|-----------------------------|
|        1 | Gir National Park           |            258.71 |                        1975 |
|        2 | Gir Wildlife Sanctuary      |           1153.42 |                        1965 |
|        3 | Barda Wildlife Sanctuary    |            192.31 |                        1979 |
|        4 | Pania Wildlife Sanctuary    |             39.64 |                        1989 |
|        5 | Mitiyala Wildlife Sanctuary |             18.22 |                        2004 |
|        6 | Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary   |            178.87 |                        2008 |

- (c) Human death by lion for last three years and the current year in Gujarat State is as under:
- (d) State Government of Gujarat has formulated a policy for compensation of human death, human injuries and cattle death. The State Government provides ex-gratia relief of Rs.4.00 lakh for human death by Lion.
- (e) In order to provide better and focused conservation of the Asiatic Lions, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India has launched a 'Asiatic Lion Conservation Project' for 3 years and amounting to Rs. 9784.50 lakh and funding from  the  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme-  Development  of  Wildlife  Habitat  (CSS-DWH) with the contributing ratio being 60:40 of Central and State share respectively.

| S. No.   | Year                        |   No. of Human deaths by Lion |
|----------|-----------------------------|-------------------------------|
| 1        | 2015-16                     |                             3 |
| 2        | 2016-17                     |                             4 |
| 3        | 2017-18                     |                             0 |
| 4        | 2018-19 ( Up to 25/12/2018) |                             2 |
|          | Total                       |                             9 |

The Project will strengthen the ongoing measures for conservation and recovery of Asiatic Lion with the help of state-of-the -art techniques/ instruments, regular scientific research studies, disease management, Modern surveillance/ patrolling techniques etc.

The project activities are envisaged in a manner to cause habitat improvement, scientific interventions,  disease  control  and  veterinary  care  supplemented  with  adequate  eco development works for the fringe population in order to ensure a stable and viable Lion population in the Country.

- (f) The details of funds released to the State Government of Gujarat for conservation of Lions under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme- Development of Wildlife Habitat (CSS-DWH) and funds utilized are as follows:

## (Amount in Lakh)

| S. No .   | Protecte d Areas             | Year 2015-16    | Year 2015-16    | Year 2016-17    | Year 2016-17    | Year 2017-18        | Year 2017-18        | Year 2018-19                               |
|-----------|------------------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------------|---------------------|--------------------------------------------|
|           |                              | Funds release d | Funds utilize d | Funds release d | Funds utilize d | Funds release d     | Funds utilize d     | Funds released                             |
| 1         | Gir NP/ Wildlife Sanctuar y  | 41.68           | 26.33           | 58.74           | 30.88           | 233.64              | 139.15              | 188.57*                                    |
| 2         | Pania Wildlife Sanctuar y    | 4.80            | 4.80            | 6.24            | 5.73            | A.P.O. not received | A.P.O. not received | A.P.O. not received                        |
| 3         | Mitiyala Wildlife Sanctuar y | 2.80            | 2.80            | 3.60            | 3.31            | A.P.O. not received | A.P.O. not received | A.P.O. not received                        |
| 4         | Girnar Wildlife Sanctuar y   | 32.78           | 19.83           | 31.51           | 18.55           | A.P.O. not received | A.P.O. not received | 57.92*                                     |
|           |                              |                 |                 |                 |                 |                     |                     | *Utilization Certificate (UC) not received |

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