India’s Gir Forest is home to 674 Asiatic lions, the last remaining population of this regal beast. On World Wildlife Day, March 3, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspected ambitious Rs 2,927 crore Project Lion, a high-profile conservation project aimed at safeguarding and increasing the Asiatic lion population.
To celebrate the day, PM Modi went on an adventure safari across Gir Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat, his native state. Joined by state ministers and top forest officials, he ventured into the expansive deciduous forest and gauged conservation efforts up close.
Today, on #WorldWildlifeDay, let’s reiterate our commitment to protect and preserve the incredible biodiversity of our planet. Every species plays a vital role—let’s safeguard their future for generations to come!
We also take pride in India’s contributions towards preserving… pic.twitter.com/qtZdJlXskA
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 3, 2025
But what is Project Lion, and how does it intend to safeguard the big cats? Here’s a closer look.
High-Tech Healthcare, Drones & Surveillance
One of the important features of Project Lion is the setting up of a high-tech veterinary hospital in Sasan, Gir, which will serve as the National Wildlife Disease Diagnostic Centre. As per The Hindustan Times, this center would be an important tool in containing and tracking diseases such as Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) and Babesia that earlier had endangered lions in 2018 and 2020.
Outside of healthcare, Project Lion increases security and monitoring in Gir. The Times of India reports that conservation officials will use drones, CCTV monitors at the entrances and exits of forests, and 33 rapid response teams. Furthermore, 100 new tracker posts are to be established for the rescue of lions.
The seeds of Project Lion were sown in PM Modi’s Independence Day speech on August 15, 2020, when he emphasized the need to safeguard India’s Asiatic lions. The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change later approved a 10-year conservation plan with a budget of Rs 2,927.71 crore in a letter dated November 2, 2022.
A Second Home for Asiatic Lions
With the population of Gir lions continually growing, Project Lion seeks to create Barda Dungar Wildlife Sanctuary, some 100 km west of Gir, as a reserve habitat for the species.
Lions and lionesses in Gir! Tried my hand at some photography this morning. pic.twitter.com/TKBMKCGA7m
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 3, 2025
The Gujarat Forest Department has been endeavoring for years to create alternative habitats to offset risks of disease outbreaks and competition for resources. The 2020 lion census counted 674 lions in Gujarat, a 29% increase from 2015. Of these, 206 were males, 309 females, and 130 cubs, with close to 400 lions found in Gir alone, as reported by The Guardian.
In January 2023, a lion sighting in Barda Wildlife Sanctuary—the first after India’s Independence—gave renewed hopes that the region would be able to harbor a healthy population of lions. As per the Wildlife Institute of India, Barda-Alech hills and coastal forests have the potential to harbor approximately 40 adult and sub-adult lions. At present, the sanctuary harbors 17 lions, of which six are adults and 11 are cubs.
“A major portion of the budget for Project Lion will be towards habitat management,” a government official informed The Hindustan Times. This encompasses boosting the prey base and resettling human habitation to reduce human-wildlife conflict.
To ensure coexistence, the government has provided 11,000 machans (elevated platforms) to farmers for guarding crops without having a direct confrontation with lions. The project further seeks to revive 1,000 sq km of sole lion habitat by resettling Maldhari habitations beyond Gir’s protected areas through financial compensation by the state government.
Expanding Lion Habitats Across India
Project Lion is not restricted to Gir and Barda—its aim is also to discover other lion habitats within and outside Gujarat to add genetic diversity and long-term viability.
The project suggests eight new satellite habitats in Saurashtra: Umath Virdi in Bhavnagar, Gir, Girnar, Mitiyala, Jesor-Hipawadi, Babra Virdi, Hingolgadh, and the coastal area from Rajula to Jafrabad up to Mahuva. Lions are already frequenting these areas, and authorities will further develop them as potential habitats.
The project entails forestation activities, specifically planting fruit trees to lure predator prey such as nilgai, for a sustainable environment for the lions.
PM Modi Examines India’s Wildlife Conservation Strategy
During his visit, PM Modi presided over a high-level meeting with National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) at Gir on Project Lion and other conservation projects, including Project Tiger, Project Cheetah, Project Elephant, and Project Dolphin.
A top government ministry official informed The Hindustan Times that all 47 members of the NBWL attended the meeting. The NBWL, India’s top wildlife conservation apex body, lays down policies under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. It has 47 members, including the Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Vice-Chairperson), 19 ex-officio members, and 27 nominated experts in wildlife conservation, ecology, and environmental sciences.
