The Last Lions of Asia

Lions in India, somehow sounds a strange phrase, as if it doesn’t match or make sense. But the reality is, there are wild lions in India, and no they were not introduced, rather they have been roaming wild for thousands of years. The Asiatic Lion, a unique subspecies are the rulers of the wild kingdom of West India. Historically, these majestic animals spread from the coast of the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Pakistan all the way to central India. The Lion was the symbol of power and Royalty even among the Sultans, Maharaja’s, Kings and Rulers of this land for thousands of years. Evidence in the artistry, pottery, and ancient artifacts lie testament to the lion’s legacy in this country.

Despite its historical significance, the lions were also prized as game, and were the victims of many Royal hunts, which decimated the population. Thereafter limited mainly to the Gujarat state, and in particular the Gir Forest these majestic predators were given full protection which has resulted in their growth in population over the years, and grown to a population of over 500 animals.

Comparing the Asiatic and African Lions, one of the primary differences is the Asiatic Lions signature skin fold running across the stomach. This fold of skin is not present in African lions. Further the Asiatic Lion is very slightly smaller than its African cousins, but the difference is minute and can differ from animal to animal. The manes of the male lions in the Asiatic Subspecies is less thick and have a different look to the African Lions given the nature of its habitat of thorny scrub and bushes, similar to the maneless lions of Tsavo. Further the faces are more elongated which gives the Asiatic Lion a unique look.

My experience with these majestic big cats begins with my journey to Gujarat this October leading a group of like minded clients on a safari.

The journey to get there was long and arduous, from 7 hour layovers in the airport, to near death experiences while on the road to Gir we faced it all to reach the Gir Birding Lodge which was to be our abode for the next few days. A quaint safari lodge located right at the border with the national park, and surrounded by a sprawling mango orchard.

The safari the next day began with the usual process in most Indian parks where we first head to the park reception to obtain our guide/tracker and the route we are assigned to for the day. Thereafter we entered the park for the first time. It was a pleasant experience to see such a lush and green park thanks to the heavy monsoons this year. Driving through the dense forests full of large teak trees and dense foliage. Our only concern was the ability to spot a lion in such dense cover. Along the way we observed a few spotted deer, but not much, and a few bird species which are commonly found included the Spotted Owlet. We passed by two villages located inside the park itself. These are people from the Maldari Tribe, who have been here for generations and have learnt to co-exist with lions. They are pastoral people and hence tend to cattle and water buffalo. The lions regularly feed on these livestock which supplements their diet. 

We came across a carcass of a buffalo which a lioness apparently has taken down and has fed. But there was no cat in sight, and hence we moved on. Along the way we got a message from another jeep that there is a male lion up ahead. Driving up to the point we faced a large gathering of jeeps. There were rangers on duty and who seemed to be monitoring the lion. After some time we noticed the visible shape of a big cat moving through the foliage, and out came this magnificent lion who was very large and tall. I did not expect the lion to be this large, as I have always read of them being smaller than the African Lion. But this specimen was magnificent with a very stall stature, and he walked right up to some of the jeeps to observe what was going on and thereafter calmly walked back into the thick brush. Our first encounter with the Asiatic Lion was brief but memorable.

Back at the lodge we spent the remainder of the day at leisure, until our next safari in the evening. The drive started in another route which first took us through a border of the park. Leaving the lodge we came across another interesting wildlife encounter with an Indian Chameleon. This was a lifer for me as even though I tried very hard to find one in Sri Lanka I have never been lucky. This amazing reptile was slowly crossing the road near the lodge and made its way up a small branch of a bush. I believe in leaving the animals undisturbed and glad we managed to photograph it without handling it or trying to manipulate the animal for the photograph.

The initial part of the game drive was unimpressive as we passed many village houses etc., and very little of the forest. We came towards a Siddhi Village, who are a community descendant from the Africans brought by the Nawab of Junagarh as soldiers and slaves. Sadly they are a marginalized society and still face severe discrimination and racism in India. It was so blatant to the point where the tracker showed us the village saying “this is a Nigger Village” and we were shocked to hear him using such a derogatory word. Given my years of travelling to Africa, I have learnt to love and respect its people from many tribes and cultures who make up such an amazing continent what it is, and to see people being discriminated for their color and ethnicity made us feel quite sad.

Continuing on the safari, finally we turned into a forest road. We hadn’t gone a few kilometers when we came across a jeep which has seen a leopard go into the forest. I asked the driver to reverse back and wait. After around 10 minutes I noticed some movement in the forest and told the driver to go ahead and stop. While waiting the tracker noticed the leopard attempting to cross the road, and in the drivers excitement he turned the engine on and tried to race ahead much to my disagreement as I would have preferred them to remain where they are given how shy leopards are in India. But as the driver tried racing ahead the leopard darted across the road like “Grease Lighting” and was not to be seen again.

Continuing on our safari we also came across a unique and rare bird in the Oriental Hobby, a lifer for me and a beautiful small bird of prey.

On the tail end of our safari, when we least expected we came across a beautiful lioness seated on the side of the road. She was very calm and relaxed. The ranger who was monitoring her was on foot and was very relaxed as well and only had a big stick for his protection. We asked him if it is safe what he is doing for which he calmly replied saying that these lions know us and as long as you keep your distance they will not attack you.

That night we had a performance by the Siddhi Tribe at the lodge. The performers were young men from the village and they danced to the rhythmic drums of their African heritage. After this stunning performance the staff of the lodge had arranged a cake and wished me for my birthday. It was a nice surprise and welcoming touch to end this day.

Next day was uneventful when it comes to lions as we didn’t see any. But we did come across a pair of leopards who once again darted across the road. We also came across some species of birds including the Knob Billed Duck (a rarity in Sri Lanka), a Steppe Eagle, Black Ibis and many more. We also saw the iconic Nilgai or Blue Bull the largest antelope in India.

On our final day morning, as soon as we entered we came across some rangers who said there were two male lions on a kill and for us to move back and wait. After a few minutes the two males walked to wards the road. We observed them for a few minutes. It was a pair which seemed to have an older male with a dark mane and a younger individual with a shorter and scantier mane. Both were curious as to the throng of jeeps which have gathered. After sitting under a tree and observing us for a while both cats slowly moved interior where the carcass was. Happy we saw two lions at least compared to none the previous day we moved on.  

Again we came across some rangers who said there is a big male lion up on a hill and is moving down, and hence to be ready. We noticed the big male coming down from the hill, and walked right onto the road and walked just next to our jeep. He was so close we could have reached out and touched him. One of my clients needed to take an inhaler due to the excitement of the encounter. The lion passed our jeep which was in the last of the line and began roaring which is typical of lions to mark their territory and to announce to other lions “he is there”. It was a thrilling experience.

That evening was to be our last safari in Gir and it began to rain very heavily just as we were about to head out. Given the jeeps are all open we were wondering if we should go or not. But finally decided to go ahead with our plans despite the bad weather, taking towels and umbrellas. Heading in, we came across the large lion we saw in the morning, calmly sleeping on the side of the road. There was quite a large gathering of jeeps, but we managed to get a great view when he woke up and observed us for quite some time. He was a magnificent specimen and I think it was the same lion we saw on day 1. We were very glad we decided to continue with our safari despite the rain.

Afterwards we even came across on of the two lions we saw in the morning. He has dragged the carcass closer towards the road and was feeding on it. We observed it for a few minutes but as time was running out to exit the park we had to leave the sighting. The park rules are very strict, with each jeep assigned a specific route every day with no deviation from the route, no mobile phones allowed, and the timings are very strictly monitored. A three minute delay can cost the driver a massive fine and ban from the park. Hence they were very careful to adhere to the rules. This was good in making the park less crowded and better managed.

Back at the lodge we celebrated our final night in Gir which was a memorable experience for all of us.

The next day after breakfast we headed back to Rajkot to board our domestic flight to Delhi. From which we had a fairly long layover before boarding the flight back to Colombo to end our memorable adventure.

Overall it was thrilling to see the last remnants of this enigmatic species which few know even exists in India, and also to see a new part of this magnificent continent and its wildlife. I sure hope to return one day maybe during the dry season to view these amazing cats once again.