Kuno WildLife Sanctuary : A New Lease of Life for the Asiatic Lions of Gir

“Save the wild to save the world” - if we proclaim it this way it doesn't sound wrong. Proving the authenticity of these words, the Wild life Institute of India has taken a step forward by recommending the set up of the Kuno Wild Life Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh to save the royal Asiatic Lions of Gir Forest, making it their second home.

Asiatic Lions are facing the greatest of all dangers and are in the way of annihilation. Therefore immediate steps need to be taken to stop their habitat from getting destroyed and they being poached in the Gir forests .

To our amazement as well as dismay it is learnt that the Asiatic Lions are limited to the Gir Forests of Gujarat in India. They are found no where else in the world. Therefore these endangered species need to be saved. The Wild life Institute of India took the initiative and thereby conducted a survey on three different places viz : Darrah Jawahar sagar (Rajasthan), Sitamata(Rajasthan) and Kuno Palpur(MadhyaPradesh) for their relocation.

According to the study Kuno Palpur was zeroed in as the final one. Kuno Palpur, better known as Kuno Wildlife sanctuary is built in an area of 344.686 sq kms and was sought to be the ideal site for relocation of the Asiatic lions of Gir. The area consists of Kuno wild life division and also covers an additional 900 sq ft area as buffer zone.

Kuno Palpur has already to its distinction of being a wild life sanctuary. It also enjoys the credibilities as well protection provided under the wild life protection act of 1972.

This initiative was named Kuno Project and as per the report by conservation biologists the environment of Kuno is very much apt and adaptive for the rehabilitation and distribution of the Asiatic lions. The arena of the sanctuary is very much befitted for the Asiatic Lions making them less vulnerable to poaching as well as overcrowding.

The entire wild life of Kuno is divided into a number of habitats such as that of the riparian habitat, savanna and ravenous terrain. The sanctuary is home to a huge number of wild species. One can also delight on a wide number of wild species of birds.

To improve the living habitat of the Asiatic lions various steps have been taken up by the management like that of relocating a large number of villagers inside the Kuno reserve. It is estimated that around 1543 families have been resettled who have received Rs 1453 lakhs so far.

Kudos to the government of Madhya Pradesh which has sent a proposal to the central government under the centrally sponsored scheme. It is for the development of National parks and sanctuaries for which an amount of Rs 1545 lakhs have already been sanctioned and development has already started.