If the Asiatic lion is safe anywhere, it's in Gir: Environment minister Bhupender Yadav

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav Thursday said public participation and local knowledge are necessary tools for animal conservation and addressing man-animal conflicts. "We need to identify areas where man-animal conflicts exist. We will have to visit local areas while framing a policy to address these issues," the minister said at an event where he released the all-India synchronised methodology for elephant and tiger population estimation.

Yadav said that after the issue of lion conservation came up, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had camped in Gir for six-seven days as the then chief minister of Gujarat.

"If the Asiatic lion is safe anywhere, it's in Gir (Gujarat) and the credit goes to Prime Minister Modi because he worked on the ground," he said.


Animal conservation cannot happen without being on the ground as only technology cannot do it, the minister said, adding public participation and local knowledge are necessary.