Sasan Gir

Sasan Gir National Park (also known as Gir Forest National Park) is a forest and wildlife sanctuary in the state of Gujarat established in 1965 and located 40 km north of Somnath. It has total area of 1412 sq. km (about 258 sq. km for the fully protected area (the national park) and (1153 sq. km for the Sanctuary). It is one of the last places in the world where Asiatic lions can be seen in their natural habitat, which is the only habitat left of the lions other than Africa. Asian lions are smaller than African lions with a fold of skin along the belly. During the British period, lions were hunted by the officers and this was assisted by the Maharajas and Nawabs. Every Maharaja was proud of the number of lions or tigers he killed during his lifetime. In the year 1899 Lord Curzon was invited to Sasan Gir by the Nawab for a ‘Shikaar’ i.e. shoot but he cancelled it because famine decreased the lion population badly. The forest area of Sasan Gir and its lions were declared as `protected’ in the early 1900s by the Nawab of the princely state of Junagadh. Ecosystem of Sasan Gir National Park is prefect to support all species. A number of rivers wind through Sasan Gir, making it a haven for a range of wildlife, including the caracal, the chausingha (four-horned antelope), the blackbuck and a substantial leopard population. Fed by perennial and seasonal rivers and streams, the sanctuary has large water bodies like the Kamleshwar Dam that are good for crocodiles and birds. The Government of India banned the hunting of lion in the mid 1960’s and now this park is open only for the photo safaris.