Ahmedabad, Aug 10 (PTI) On the occasion of World Lion Day on Tuesday, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said a state of the art hospital and disease diagnostic centre will be set up soon for the big cats in Sasan Gir, the last abode of the Asiatic lion.

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Virtually addressing a function on the occasion, Rupani said conservation schemes would be strengthened with the use of CCTVs, radio collar tracking, drones and other technological inputs under the Centre's 'Lion Project' as part of which the state has received Rs 2,000 crore as assistance.

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"We will ensure no lion dies due to the spread of disease or epidemics in Gir forest, and for this a state of the art hospital and disease diagnostic centre will be established at Sasan Gir. Under the Lion Project, in the coming years, the link between lion conservation and breeding will be strengthened by making maximum use of rescue centres, hospitals, laboratories, breeding centres and infrastructural facilities. Lion ambulances will also be provided," he said.

Incidentally, in September-October in 2018, some 20 lions had died in Gir National Park due to a combination of Babesiosis protozoa, which attacks the red blood cells of a lion and causes anemia, and canine distemper virus (CDV).

He said, under the project, modern technology like radio collars, CCTVs, drones will be used for the conservation of lions and check posts will be established at regular intervals to strengthen surveillance in Gir forest.

The area in Saurashtra region where the lions are found has increased to 30,000 square kilometers, with the big cats being sighted in towns like Chotila, Sayla, Amreli, Bhavnagar, while the number of lions in the state has increased by 29 per cent from 529 in 2015 to 674 in 2020, he said.

The Gujarat CM said lion safaris were being developed near Ambardi in Amreli and Indreshwar in Junagadh, apart from the Gir forest, and 'lion gene pools' have been set up at Rampara in Saurashtra as well as Sakkarbaug and Satveerada in Junagadh.

Meanwhile, in a tweet on World Lion Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. "The lion is majestic and courageous. India is proud to be home to the Asiatic Lion. On World Lion Day, I convey my greetings to all those passionate about lion conservation. It would make you happy that the last few years have seen a steady increase in India's lion population."

"When I was serving as Gujarat CM, I had the opportunity to work towards ensuring safe and secure habitats for the Gir Lions. A number of initiatives were taken which involved local communities and global best practices to ensure habitats are safe and tourism also gets a boost," the PM said in another tweet.

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