397 lions died in Gujarat between 2019-2021, 10% due to unnatural causes: Govt

New Delhi, Dec 7 (PTI) The government on Thursday said 397 lions died in Gujarat between 2019 and 2021, around 10 percent of them due to unnatural reasons.

Minister of State for Environment Ashwini Kumar Choubey said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha, "397 lions including 182 cubs of 0-1 year have died in Gujarat from 2019-2021." Giving the break-up, he said 66 lions and 60 cubs died in 2019, 73 lions and 76 died the next year, while 76 lions and 46 cubs died in 2021, the minister informed the Rajya Sabha.

"As reported by the State, 10.53 percent lions including 3.82 percent cubs have died due to unnatural reasons out of total deaths of lions in the last five years in Gujarat State," the MoS said.

He said funding assistance is provided under the ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats (CSS-IDWH) to the state for the conservation of Asiatic lions, raising awareness on lion and other wildlife conservation, habitat management among other initiatives.

He also said the matter of translocation of lions from Gujarat to Madhya Pradesh is in the Supreme Court. PTI