A conservation success story in the otherwise dire megafauna extinction crisis: The Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) of Gir forest

Abstract

Carnivores in Asia and throughout the world face high risk of extinction due to factors such as continued habitat loss and hunting. However, the Asiatic lion of Gir forest, India presents a conservation success story whose history may help to guide the recovery and conservation of other imperiled predators. Protection of core and satellite habitats and the relocation of pastoral communities and their livestock triggered forest recovery and coincident increases in native prey populations. Wild ungulate populations increased by 10-fold between 1970 and 2010, supporting an increase in the lion population from 180 animals in 1974 to 411 animals in 2010. Coincident with this increase, lions shifted their predation preferences from a diet composed of 75% livestock to one composed of just 25% livestock. This example demonstrates the value of native prey populations to sustain imperiled carnivore species, and the use of protected areas and livestock exclusion to maintain healthy prey populations. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.