PM Modi was seen capturing pictures of lions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday morning went on a lion safari at Gir Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat's Junagadh on the occasion of World Wildlife Day. During the jeep safari, he was accompanied by some ministers and senior forest department officials and was also seen capturing pictures of lions.
He later also shared pictures from his visit on X.
"This morning, on World Wildlife Day, I went on a Safari in Gir, which, as we all know, is home to the majestic Asiatic Lion. Coming to Gir also brings back many memories of the work we collectively did when I was serving as Gujarat CM," PM Modi, who served as the chief minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014, said.
"In the last many years, collective efforts have ensured that the population of Asiatic Lions is rising steadily. Equally commendable is the role of tribal communities and women from surrounding areas in preserving the habitat of the Asiatic lion," he added.
"I urge you all to come and visit Gir in the future," he said in another post.
In a separate post, he also shared pictures of lions and lionesses in Gir and said, "Tried my hand at some photography this morning."
Earlier in the day, he reiterated the commitment to "protect and preserve the incredible biodiversity of our planet" on the occasion of World Wildlife Day.
"Every species plays a vital role -- let's safeguard their future for generations to come. We also take pride in India's contributions towards preserving and protecting wildlife," he wrote on X and tagged a video showing him taking jungle safari in the recent years.
At Sasan Gir, the headquarters of the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, he will also chair the seventh meeting of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL). After the meeting, he is expected to interact with some women forest staffers at Sasan.
Project Lion In Gir
The Centre has implemented a "Project Lion" in the Gir landscape in Gujarat for the conservation of Asiatic lions, for which Gujarat is the only abode.
The project aims to - secure and restore lions' habitats for managing its growing population; scale up livelihood generation and participation of local communities; become a global hub of knowledge on big cat disease diagnostics and treatment; and for inclusive biodiversity conservation.
According to the Centre, the population of Asiatic lions in Gujarat has shown an increasing trend, with the most recent estimate in June 2020 putting it at 674, up from 523 in 2015 and 411 in 2010.
A document from the Gujarat chief wildlife warden's office shows that the lions' distribution area rose from 22,000 square kilometres in 2015 to 30,000 square kilometres in 2020.
