About the forest
The only wild home of the Asiatic Lion
Spread across roughly 1,412 sq km of dry deciduous forest, scrub and grassland in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, Gir National Park & Wildlife Sanctuary is the last place on Earth where the majestic Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) survives in the wild. Declared a sanctuary in 1965, decades of dedicated conservation have grown the population to around 674 lions at the last census.
Beyond its lions, Gir is a complete ecosystem β leopards, striped hyena, jackal, marsh crocodile, chital, sambar, nilgai and more than 300 species of birds share these teak-clad hills, seasonal rivers and rocky ravines. The Kamleshwar reservoir, fed by the region's rivers, is the lifeline that sustains this rich web of life through Gujarat's long dry season.
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