Jadeja's Lion Selfie Is Not An Isolated Incident - Illegal Safari Is A Thriving Business In Gir
Ravindra Jadeja courted controversy when he clicked selfies with lions on a safari with his wife and friends at Gir sanctuary this week. A probe has been ordered, while two range forest officers who were in one of the photographs now face action. What has however gone unnoticed or continued without a ruckus is innovative forest officials joining hands with locals to set up illegal 'lion shows'.
Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja courted controversy when he clicked selfies with lions on a safari with his wife and friends at Gir sanctuary this week. A probe has been ordered, while two range forest officers who were in one of the photographs now face action. What has however gone unnoticed or continued without a ruckus is innovative forest officials joining hands with locals in Gir to set up illegal 'lion shows' for tourists.
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As Khushboo Gujarat Ki spreads far and wide, the number of tourists visiting Gir sanctuary has touched record highs. The 14th Asiatic Lion Census 2015 conducted in May 2015 put the lion population at 523 (up 27% from the previous census in 2010). This has peaked tourist curiosity who want to be up, close with the Asiatic lion. As many as 1.5 lakh tourists have visited Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary this year. With the monsoon set to hit Gujarat and the breeding season for lions set to begin, the sanctuary has been closed from June 16 for four months.
asiaticlionlodge/representational image
Taking advantage of the huge number of tourists, some of the locals hands-in-glove with the forest officials gather the tourists at a set location through their guides. Lion trackers then goad the pride out of the bushes and herd them to the location where the tourists have gathered for the 'show'. Voila! You have lions right in front of you. Click photographs and add to your collection. On the one hand, the Asiatic lion has come into conflict with humans after the predator's territory expanded to 22,000 sq km across eight of the nine districts in Saurashtra, while on the other hand, illegal lion shows have become a regular affair inside the sanctuary to lure tourists and make quick bucks.
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With a proper guide, jeep and driver it gets easier for tourists to sight lions the way they wish. Three groups of trackers assigned by the forest department keep an eye on lion movements inside the forest area. These trackers know where lions are. They inform the guides who collect the tourist jeeps at one place. Once the tourists assemble, the tracker goes into the bushes and by making noises and using his stick forces the lion/s out of the bushes. Tourists get to see the king of the jungle from close quarters and are quick to snap them. Current bookings are fully online, but tourists need not worry.
If a tourist misses booking online he/she can approach a local around Sinh Sadan, where permits are issued. The local will take tourist inside the park, show lion and charge extra for managing the show. This Mirror correspondent who took the lion safari last week had firsthand experience of the same. Tourist jeeps were asked to gather at a spot, and then one of the three forest officials went inside the forest on his bike. Soon a lioness and cubs were seen coming out from the same direction. The lioness and its cubs sat next to the path, close to the jeeps.
media2.intoday
Local activist Bhikubhai Batawala from Khambha confirmed the activity.
"I am aware of such activity. It may not be forest guards always. Like fake police there are fake forest guards as well inside the sanctuary at times," he said. Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (wildlife) J A Khan seemed unaware of the issue. "I will check and take necessary action if needed," Khan said.
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