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Asiatic lions at Barda Wildlife Sanctuary after about 144 years
ਖ਼ਬਰਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਕਿਉਂ?
Lions return to Barda after 144 years: the Asiatic lion IUCN status and Gir facts Prelims tests
Barda Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat's Saurashtra region has 17 Asiatic lions as of October 2026, after the species returned following an absence of roughly 144 years.
Why it matters: factual, Prelims-type
What you need to know
2 ਮਿੰਟ
Barda Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat's Saurashtra region has 17 Asiatic lions as of October 2026, after the species returned following an absence of roughly 144 years.
The wider Gir landscape remains the animal's main stronghold.
ਸਰੋਤ: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
ਮੁੱਖ ਤੱਥ
Remember these
- Barda Wildlife Sanctuary (Saurashtra, Gujarat) has 17 Asiatic lions as of October 2026, after about 144 years without the species
- Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List
- Gir landscape in Gujarat remains the main stronghold and the only natural home of the Asiatic lion
- The Asiatic lion is protected under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
- Concentrating a species in one landscape raises risk from disease and disaster, so a second home is a conservation priority
ਪ੍ਰੀਲਿਮਜ਼ · ਮੇਨਜ਼
How the exam will ask it
ਪ੍ਰੀਲਿਮਜ਼
- Statement: The Asiatic lion is found in the wild only in Gujarat's Gir landscape and its surrounding areas. (Largely correct; Barda is a newer habitat in Saurashtra.)
- Statement: The Asiatic lion is categorised as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. (Correct)
- Statement: Barda Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Saurashtra, Gujarat. (Correct)
ਮੇਨਜ਼
GS-III Environment: a single-population species is vulnerable to epidemics, fire and natural disasters. Establishing a second habitat such as Barda, backed by the Wild Life (Protection) Act and landscape-level conservation planning, spreads that risk. The way forward is prey-base improvement, disease surveillance, managing human-lion conflict and community participation.
Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
The Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica), now spreading to newer habitats such as Barda Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat, is categorised by the IUCN as:
- Vulnerable
- Near Threatened
- Endangered
- Least Concern
ਜਵਾਬ ਵੇਖੋ
ਜਵਾਬ: C — The correct answer is Endangered. The Asiatic lion is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Its stronghold is Gir in Gujarat's Saurashtra region, and lions have lately returned to Barda.
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