Barda sanctuary emerges as new home for Asiatic lions beyond Gir, now has 17 big cats

The Gujarat government's wildlife conservation efforts appear to be paying off. After the Gir forest, the Barda Wildlife Sanctuary is now becoming a new home for Asiatic lions. The hilly, rocky terrain of the Barda forest, spread across Porbandar and Devbhumi Dwarka districts, is proving suitable for the big cats. According to recent research, the sanctuary could in future become an important centre for the long-term conservation of Asiatic lions.

Located in Saurashtra, the Barda Wildlife Sanctuary spreads over 192.31 square kilometres. The forest has a wide variety of vegetation and medicinal plants. The research found that the natural conditions needed for lions, adequate prey and a suitable environment are present here.

The Gujarat government has taken several steps to conserve lions. Under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, a scheme has also been announced to rehabilitate the pastoralists living in the Barda forest. About 144 years later, lions have naturally made this forest their home again. A male lion arrived here first. The Gujarat Forest Department then brought five lionesses and released them in the area.

According to the Forest Department, there are currently 17 lions in the Barda Wildlife Sanctuary. To understand the lions' movement, habitat preference and diet, six lions were fitted with radio collars. Between January 2023 and July 2025, more than 1.69 lakh GPS locations were recorded for them. The research found that the lions are actively using the grassland areas of the forest and are also establishing territories and social bonds.

The research report, titled "Beyond Gir: Barda Wildlife Sanctuary as a potential home for Asiatic lions", has been published in the journal PLOS ONE. The study was conducted by researchers from the Gujarat Forest Department and the agriculture and technical university.

To help the lions stay in the area over the long term, the Forest Department is focusing on increasing the number of prey animals in the forest. In 2025-26, 441 chital were brought from the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary and released in the Barda forest. Large numbers of chital had also been released here since 2007. Efforts are also under way to increase the sambar population and release them in the forest.

Eight full-time lion trackers have been deployed to keep regular watch on the lions' movement and health. The rapid-response system for dealing with human-wildlife conflict has also been strengthened.

Eco-friendly tourism was started in the Barda sanctuary in 2024. It has created livelihood opportunities for local people as nature guides and safari operators. The number of tourists visiting the sanctuary rose from 2,271 in the first year to 3,359 in 2025-26, an increase of about 48 per cent.

These developments show that the Gujarat government's conservation initiative is creating a second home for lions while also promoting local employment and tourism.