Nahargarh Biological Park in Jaipur to get 2 Asiatic lions

Press Trust of India  |  Jaipur  October 1, 2016 Last Updated at 02:22 IST

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has arranged for the only pair of Asiatic lions in Jodhpur's Machia Biological Park to be shifted to the Nahargarh Biological Park in Jaipur.

Raje has instructed that the Asiatic lion pair, named Shravan and Tithi, be shifted to Jaipur and colonised with another pair of Asiatic lions at the Nahargarh Biological Park.

Confirming the proposed displacement of the pair from Jodhpur to Jaipur, the DFO (Wildlife) Mahendra Singh Rathore said Jodhpur would be getting a pair of lions in exchange.

The Gir National Forest is known as the last and the only refuge of this endangered animal, the total count of which has been reported at 359 as per a 2005 census.

Its population extended up to the Northern India once but before the end of the last century, the Asiatic Lion had become extinct from everywhere except Gir, where since the conservation programme started in 1965, its count increased gradually on account of the endeavours of the local people and the state government.

Nahargarh has been proposed to be established as a centre for the breeding of the Asiatic lion.

Veterinarian of Machia Park Sharavan Singh Rathore said the pair is quite young and can easily be colonised with another pair of Asiatic lion already present in Nahargarh.

This is second such initiative in India aimed at the conservation and population growth of the Asiatic lion.

Another such breeding farm for Asiatic lion is proposed to come up in Etah in UP.

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