Gir Somnath, Aug 10 (PTI) Gujarat marked World Lion Day on Saturday with programmes to spread awareness about the conservation and protection of the big cats.
The state forest department marked the day by spreading awareness through SMSes and emails to citizens, and school students participated in rallies, drawing competitions, etc., in 11 districts with a lion population.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel addressed a gathering at Sasan Gir in Gir Somnath district, an abode of the Asiatic lions.
“Along with development, we should conserve nature. It is our collective responsibility to conserve our heritage,” he said.
The true celebration of World Lion Day is the celebration of efforts to make Gujarat’s pride (Asiatic lions) thrive, he said.
“We gather once a year for such an event, but the forest department keeps working for the protection and conservation of lions, and the government is offering all technical help. We say, ‘Live and let live.’ We should make efforts to let animals live and thrive,” he said.
The chief minister said global warming was a result of reduced green cover.
“We should take care of trees. In the context of global warming and rising intensity of rains and summer heat…The only solution is to conserve nature and plant more trees,” he said.
He also expressed his commitment to the development of Gujarat while preserving its heritage to realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed India by 2047.
World Lion Day is a true celebration of compassion towards animals, he said.
“Herdsmen in Gir and forest dwellers have saved and protected the pride of Gujarat over the years, due to which the population of the big cats has increased,” Patel said.
State Forest and Environment Minister Mulubhai Bera said the forest department marked the occasion by sending out text messages to 75 lakh people and emails to three lakh people to spread awareness.
Apart from this, school students were spreading awareness about lion conservation through rallies, drawing competitions, etc., in 11 districts that are home to lions, he said.
As per the 2020 census, Gujarat has a population of 674 Asiatic lions.
The chief minister also released the books, ‘Conservation of Asiatic Lion: Integrated Radio Telemetry for Enhanced Ecological Monitoring’, ‘Population Status of Wild Prey in Gir Protected Area’ and ‘Reintroduction and Satellite Telemetry of Indian Gray Hornbill in Gir’ on the occasion. PTI KA ARU
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