The only Asiatic Lions left in the world to roam free
The state of Gujarat is not one you typically hear about when people travel to India. It is the western most state in the country and it is known for the birthplace of Mahatma Ghandi and various sites of early Indus Valley Civilization.
Here lies Gir National Park which is not typically a place that many tourists go to, but it has the last remaining free Asiatic Lions left in the world. It is believed that these lions separated from the African Lion population around 100,000 years ago.
The historical range of these animals is widely believed to be from eastern Turkey, Iran, Mesopotamia and from east of the Indus River to Bengal and Marmada River in Central India. It is said to have disappeared in the first to fourth centuries CE from the Balkan Peninsula where it inhabited parts as far as Hungary
In many historical stories, such as the Bible(Book of Judges), Greek Myths(Hercules), Quran, Mesopotamian, Persian Stories you can find tales about these great lions which spread across this great land. In South and East Asia, many stories in Hindu and Tibetan Buddhism talks about the lions as well as roots in other cultures in the area. Unfortunately, due to habitat loss and hunting over time, the only population that survives in the wild is in Gir National Park.
Taking four safaris here, I was amazed to see the population thriving with thee of the safaris, we were able to spot the lions either walking, sitting, or hunting.
Other species of wildlife in the park I saw were: Spotted Deer, Blue Bull, Purple Heron, Turtle,Common Mongoose, Black Face Langur, Golden Jackal, Samburu Deer, Jungle Crow, Indian Scops Owl, Hawk Eagle, Crocodile, Rose Ring Parakeet, Green Bee Eater, and Spotted Owlet. Of course there are many other species of birds reptiles and mammals here, that I did not mention, but photographing was my main priority.
