Mumbai: By end of November, SGNP to echo with roar of new lions

(From right) SGNP Field Director G Mallikarjun; Clement Ben, additional principal chief conservator of forest-wildlife (west); and a Central Zoo Authority official

Fans of the captive lion safari at Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) - and wildlife enthusiasts in general - are in for a treat. By the end of the month, the park will receive a pair of captive lions that are capable of breeding from Gujarat in exchange for two captive royal Bengal tigers.

On Monday, Clement Ben, additional principal chief conservator of forest, wildlife (west) and SGNP Field Director G Mallikarjun meet Central Zoo Authority (CZA) authorities following which the move was green-lit.

Clement said, "The CZA has given the final nod to bring a breeding pair of captive lions from Gujarat to SGNP in exchange for two captive tigers. The SGNP team along with a veterinarian will be shortly visiting Sakkarbaug Zoological Park at Junagadh to identify the lions between the age group of four and six years, and we expect to get the animals by the end of this month."

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Jespa, the 12-year-old lion that resides at SGNP. File pic

The 12-hectare captive tiger and lion safari at the SGNP has been a major tourist attraction since the safari was inaugurated in the 1990s. The death of the big cats of old age and illnesses has been a cause for concern for SGNP authorities and they had been trying for almost four years to bring a pair of lions that can produce offspring from Gujarat.

In September, Maharashtra Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar met with his Gujarat counterpart Jagdish Vishwakarma in Ahmedabad and discussed the exchange of two Asiatic lions from Sakkarbaug Zoological Park in Junagadh for a pair of captive tigers from the SGNP. They decided to seek joint approval from the CZA for the same.

In September 2020, the SGNP approached the Telangana Forest Department for a pair of lions from Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad. However, the latter wanted lions in exchange for lions.

A few days ago, a 17-year-old male lion Ravindra died of old age at SGNP. The park is now left with just one captive lion, 12-year-old Jespa. The main aim behind obtaining the big cat is to increase its numbers through captive breeding.