Ahmedabad, Aug 10 (PTI) Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Monday said his government was committed to conservation of lions in the state.

On the occasion of the World Lion Day,Rupani held a meeting of key officials working in the Gir forest, the only abode of Asiatic lions, via video conferencing from Gandhinagar, an official release said.

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The CM said the increasing population of lions reflected the state government's resolve to protect them.

Lion population in the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary and surrounding forest went up from 523 in 2015 to 674 in 2020, the forest department had said in June.

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Meanwhile, while stressing the need to conserve the "natural heritage" in the form of lions, Rupani asked forest officials to ensure that lions do not contract any disease during monsoon.

Sasan-Gir DFO, Mohan Ram, told the chief minister that lions are being constantly monitored and expert veterinarians are also deployed at rescue centres to meet any emergency situation during monsoon.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)