- Why in news
- On World Lion Day, 10 August 2026, the Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav noted that the Asiatic Lion population rose from 523 in 2015 to 891 in 2025.
- What it is
- The Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica) is a subspecies of lion found in the wild only in India, in Gujarat's Gir landscape. Project Lion is the Centre's programme for the long-term conservation of the big cat through a landscape-level approach.
- Population trend
- The Asiatic Lion population rose from 523 in 2015 to 891 in 2025.
- Project Lion launch
- Project Lion was announced by the Prime Minister on 15 August 2020.
- Range expansion
- The lion range has grown from about 30,000 sq. km in 2020 to nearly 35,000 sq. km.
- Project approach
- The project is landscape-level and covers habitat enhancement, disease monitoring, veterinary support, scientific population tracking, technology-aided interventions, benefit sharing and community involvement.
- Habitat
- Gir National Park and Sanctuary in Gujarat is the main home of the Asiatic Lion.
- Legal and Red List status
- The Asiatic Lion is listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and is Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Don’t confuse with Project Lion vs Project Tiger: Project Lion (2020) is for the Asiatic Lion in Gujarat's landscape. Project Tiger began in 1973 and covers tiger reserves.
Don’t confuse with Asiatic Lion vs African Lion: The Asiatic Lion is a separate subspecies (Panthera leo persica) found only in India. African lions are Panthera leo leo and others in Africa.
Species and protected areas: 12 Prelims questions since 2013; they test legal status, location and the year of designation.
Why it matters
- Shows that a species with a single wild population can recover when habitat protection, monitoring and community participation work together.
- Wider range lowers the risk from a single-site disaster.
Problems
- Almost all lions live in one landscape in Gujarat, so an epidemic or natural disaster could harm the whole population.
- Lions moving outside protected areas increase human-lion conflict.
Way forward
- Build a second wild population in another suitable site to spread the risk.
- Strengthen disease surveillance, veterinary support and community benefit sharing.
Put in your answer
Population data: Asiatic Lion numbers rose from 523 in 2015 to 891 in 2025, an example of a conservation success.
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Species with population figures from 523 to 891 and Project Lion. Species are 4% of Prelims news questions and rarely reach Mains.
Source: PIB, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change., 10 Aug, 12:02 IST · Release 293078
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.