NEW DELHI: INDIA’s Asiatic lion population has grown from 674 in 2020 to 891 in 2025, a 32.2% increase, per the 16th Lion Population Estimation report released on Sunday. This conservation success is tempered by concerns, as most lions now live near human settlements, altering their natural hunting instincts and increasing reliance on livestock or human-provided food.
Asiatic lions are exclusively found in Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat.
Data analysed by experts reveal only 20% of lions reside in the 258 sq. km core area of Gir National Park (GNP), Gujarat, where they can prey on wild animals. The park, with its buffer zone, spans over 1,400 sq. km. A senior Gujarat forest officer stated that the remaining lions, living near humans, “primarily prey on livestock or consume dead livestock that humans dispose of.”
This proximity is troubling for locals. A June 2025 study by the Wildlife Institute of India, Gujarat Forest Department, Macalester College (USA), and NCBS (Bangalore) found lion attacks on livestock rising by 10% annually, with livestock losses per village up by 15% yearly.
Human attacks, averaging 21 per year, show no significant increase. “Lions receive food from locals and share space with them, while local communities benefit from enhanced livelihoods through tourism,” said Yadvendradev V. Jhala, a study author and former WII chief.
To accommodate the growing population, the government expanded the lions’ habitat to 30,000 sq. km, designating Barda in Porbandar as a secondary sanctuary. GNP hosts 15 lions per 100 sq. km, but outside, the density drops to three per 100 sq. km. “Populations are sparse outside the forest, making them more habituated to living near humans. This may change their natural behaviours,” officials noted.
Officials questioned why lions, like tigers requiring 700-1,000 sq. km of human-free habitat under the Wildlife Protection Act, aren’t given similar protected spaces.