Gir lions translocation: Experts' report draws flak

AHMEDABAD: Even as the Gujarat government prepares to file a curative petition against the shifting of some lion prides from Gir to Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, observations made in the 50-page report submitted by two members of the expert committee set up to oversee the translocation, has come in for criticism. The two members, Ravi Chellam and YV Jhala, were asked to draw up an action plan for the reintroduction of the Asiatic Lions in Kuno sanctuary.

In their 50-page report, Chellam and Jhala had made claims about the prey base in Kuno which they felt was enough to sustain a population of Asiatic lions. This is the main reason for criticism of their report. Some members of the 12-member committee set up by the Supreme Court to oversee the translocation of lions went so far as to say that Chellam and Jhala had 'exceeded their brief' in making suggestions not based on facts.

Some other experts said that the two had even directed Madhya Pradesh to submit a report on its preparedness. "If the two were to decide and issue directions, what was the point of having a 12-member committee?" said one expert.

The expert further said that the number of lions which could be supported by the prey base at Kuno was to be decided by the committee after deliberation and study. But the prey base on which Chellam and Jhala's report has relied to decide the number of lions to be shifted to Kuno was doubted even by the Supreme Court in its first verdict allowing the translocation of the Asiatic lions.

"Paragraph 24 of the April 15, 2012 judgment says: 'Shyam Divan referred to the note dated July 8, 2012, submitted by Ravi Chellam and contended that no reliable information was furnished to support the view regarding the adequacy of prey base at Kuno,' " the expert said quoting from the apex court order. Yet the same prey base has been taken as the base for determining the number of lions to be relocated.

Sources close to the development claimed that citations from various studies given in Chellam and Jhala's report are old, dating as far back as to 1986 and 1993. Yet these studies have been used to argue that Kuno can support 28 to 45 lions. Besides, the area shown on paper is 345 sq km but figure 1 on page 2 of the report shows 1,280 sq km area, said officials in the Gujarat government.