India to carry out 16th Asiatic lion census in May: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the seventh meeting of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) on Monday, coinciding with World Wildlife Day.
During the meeting, he announced that the 16th Asiatic lion population estimation would be conducted in May this year.
PM Modi also laid the foundation stone for the National Referral Centre-Wildlife at Junagadh and unveiled a book on river dolphins. Additionally, he announced the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for Human-Wildlife Conflict Management, SACON, in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
Earlier, PM Modi completed a lion safari at Gir National Park in Gujarat’s Junagadh district. He was accompanied by Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav and other NBWL members.
The NBWL is a statutory body advising the government on wildlife conservation, comprising 47 members, including the Chief of Army Staff, representatives from various states, NGOs, chief wildlife wardens, and secretaries from different states. PM Modi serves as the ex-officio chairperson of the NBWL, while the Union environment, forests, and climate change minister is the board’s vice-chairperson.
After the safari, OM Modi in a post on X said the population of Asiatic lions has seen a steady rise due to collective efforts, and commended the contribution of tribals and women living in surrounding areas in preserving the Asiatic lion habitat.