Gandhinagar: Ahead of World Lion Day on Aug 10, the state govt on Sunday said the forest department has decided to create a 100-hectare confined area at Ambardi Safari Park in Amreli district to house lions involved in human attacks, keeping them in a controlled environment that closely resembles their natural habitat.The department has begun work on fencing the designated area within the safari park, an official statement said. The move is aimed at addressing human-lion conflict while ensuring that lions involved in repeated attacks are not released back into areas where they could pose a threat to people.Quoting principal chief conservator of forests and head of forest force, Jaipal Singh, the statement said, “To keep the lions involved in human attacks in a limited area, they will be fenced in Ambardi Safari Park and kept under a favourable environment. Necessary directions have been given for this project and work has started.”The initiative comes as Gujarat prepares to observe World Lion Day, an occasion aimed at creating awareness about the big cat’s conservation and protection. Gujarat is home to the world’s last surviving population of Asiatic lions, with the Gir landscape serving as their principal habitat.The forest department periodically undertakes scientific relocation of wild animals as part of its efforts to reduce human-wildlife conflict, provide animals with suitable habitats and maintain ecological balance, the govt said.The statement said that wild animals that stray into villages or densely populated areas are generally captured and released into suitable forest or sanctuary areas. Relocation is also undertaken in cases involving injured or sick animals, population management or to provide a more appropriate habitat. Lions and leopards straying into farms and residential areas are relocated to safer forest areas, while crocodiles found close to human settlements are shifted to suitable water bodies, the statement said.Ambardi Safari Park, a reserved forest within the Gir protected area near Dhari in Amreli district, is spread over around 365 hectares. Besides Asiatic lions, the park is home to leopards, chital, nilgai, chinkara, peafowl and several species of birds.Opened in 2017, the park has emerged as a wildlife tourism destination in the region, offering visitors an opportunity to experience the Gir ecosystem through safaris. The forest department said the park has also contributed to the growth of eco-tourism and local employment in Amreli district.
