Sasan Gir Wildlife Sanctuary

Introducing Sasan Gir Wildlife Sanctuary

The last refuge of the Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) is 59km from Junagadh via Visavadar. The rugged, hilly, 1400-sq-km sanctuary feels beguilingly uncommercial, and encompasses some beautiful forested land. It was set up to protect lions and their habitat: since 1980 numbers have increased from fewer than 200 to an estimated 325 in May 2004 – a trend unheard of in modern India. However, while lions have been lucky, the distinctively dressed local maaldharis (herders), a devout, nomadic community, have lost valuable grazing land. In recent years the lions have been wandering outside the limits of the sanctuary in search of easy game – namely calves. One ended up on the beaches of Diu! The problem is compounded by the declining areas of forest outside the sanctuary, forcing villagers to forage for fuel within its precincts, reducing the lions’ habitat.

Sasan Gir is not big enough for the number of lions, but moves by the Madhya Pradesh government to transfer 200 lions to the Pulpur Kuno sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh were unceremoniously canned by the Gujarat government, and there are no concrete plans to address the difficulties caused by the competition for scarce resources.

As well as lions, there are more than 30 species, including leopards, hyenas, foxes, wild boars, parrots, peacocks, crocodiles (there’s also a crocodile-breeding centre), monkeys and deer – including the largest Indian antelope (nilgais), graceful chinkara gazelles, chow-singhas and barking deer.

The best time to visit is from December to April; it’s closed from mid-June to mid-October and possibly even longer if there has been a heavy monsoon.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009