Female asiatic lion stares direct to camera as she rests in Gir Forest national park and wildlife sanctuary India

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Gir Forest National Park – or Sasan Gir as it is otherwise known – is the only remaining home of pure Asiatic Lion and considered one of the most important protected species in Asia. In a remarkably prescient move in the early 1900s the then Nawab of the state of Junagadh declared both the park and the lions protected. The lion population at the time was just 15 – the plummeting population a victim of trophy hunting. The ecosystem of Gir, with its diverse flora and fauna, is protected as a result of the efforts of the Government forest department, wildlife activists and NGOs. The lion population is slowly increasing and now stands at just over 350, according to the most recent figures (a census is carried out every 5 years, next due in 2010)

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Size: 5256px × 3496px
Location: Sasan Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary Junagadh Kathiawar peninsula Gujarat India
Photo credit: © Lookinglost / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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