'Human assisted dispersal' of lions a good move: Bombay Natural Hisotry Society.

Linah Baliga, TNN Apr 21, 2013, 05.56PM IST

MUMBAI: The Supreme Court of India's recent judgment permitting translocation of some of the endangered Asiatic lions from Gujarat's Gir National Park to Kuno Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh is considered to be a good and essential step for the long-term survival of the species.
The Bombay Natural Hisotry Society(BNHS) India, terms this type of re-introduction as 'human assisted dispersal', which means re-introduction of a species to some part of its former range through human intervention. BNHS is of the opinion that many other threatened species can be conserved using this approach wherever it is necessary and appropriate to do so.

BNHS observes that whenever natural dispersal of wild species is not possible any longer due to lack of habitat corridors because of human activities and settlements, it is essential to have 'human assisted dispersal'. Dr Rahmani elaborates on the point saying that although there has been good growth in the numbers of Asiatic lions in Gujarat following conservation measures, there are no forest corridors available at present for the animals to disperse to other areas of their former range in other states. In such cases 'human assisted d'ispersal is required. The same can be used for other threatened species on case to case basis.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-04-21/flora-fauna/38709260_1_species-bnhs-dispersal