Asiatic lion

Felis leo persicus was the scientific name proposed by Johann N. Meyer in 1826 who described an Asiatic lion skin from Persia. In the 19th century, several zoologists described lion zoological specimen from other parts of Asia that used to be considered synonyms of P. l. persica: • Felis leo bengalensis proposed by Edward Turner Bennett in 1829 was a lion kept in the menagerie of the Tower of London. Bennett's essay contains a drawing titled 'Bengal lion'. • Felis leo goojratensis proposed by Walter Smee in 1833 was based on two skins of maneless lions from Gujarat that Smee exhibited in a meeting of the Zoological Society of London. • Leo asiaticus proposed by Sir William Jardine, 7th Baronet in 1834 was a lion from India. • Felis leo indicus proposed by Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville in 1843 was based on an Asiatic lion skull. In 2017, the Asiatic lion was subsumed to P. l. leo due to close morphological and molecular genetic similarities with Barbary lion specimens. However, several scientists continue using P. l. persica for the Asiatic lion. A standardised haplogroup phylogeny supports that the Asiatic lion is not a distinct subspecies, and that it represents a haplogroup of the northern P. l. leo. == Evolution ==

Lions first left Africa at least 700,000 years ago, giving rise to the Eurasian Panthera fossilis which later evolved into Panthera spelaea (commonly known as the cave lion), which became extinct around 14,000 years ago. Genetic analysis of P. spelaea indicates that it represented a distinct species from the modern lion that diverged from them around 500,000 years ago and unrelated to modern Asian lions. Pleistocene fossils assigned as belonging or probably belonging to the modern lion have been reported from several sites in the Middle East, such as Shishan Marsh in the Azraq Basin, Jordan, dating to around 250,000 years ago, and Wezmeh Cave in the Zagros Mountains of western Iran, dating to around 70–10,000 years ago, with other reports from Pleistocene deposits in Nadaouiyeh Ain Askar and Douara Cave, Syria. A fossil carnassial excavated from Batadomba Cave indicates that lions inhabited Sri Lanka during the Late Pleistocene. This population may have become extinct around 39,000 years ago, before the arrival of humans in Sri Lanka. Phylogeography ) Results of a phylogeographic analysis based on mtDNA sequences of lions from across the global range, including now extinct populations like Barbary lions, indicates that sub-Saharan African lions are phylogenetically basal to all modern lions. These findings support an African origin of modern lion evolution with a probable centre in East and Southern Africa. It is likely that lions migrated from there to West Africa, eastern North Africa and via the periphery of the Arabian Peninsula into Turkey, southern Europe and northern India during the last 20,000 years. The Sahara, Congolian rainforests and the Great Rift Valley are natural barriers to lion dispersal. Genetic markers of 357 samples from captive and wild lions from Africa and India were examined. Results indicate four lineages of lion populations: one in Central and North Africa to Asia, one in Kenya, one in Southern Africa, and one in Southern and East Africa; the first wave of lion expansion probably occurred about 118,000 years ago from East Africa into West Asia, and the second wave in the late Pleistocene or early Holocene periods from Southern Africa towards East Africa. The Asiatic lion is genetically closer to North and West African lions than to the group comprising East and Southern African lions. The two groups probably diverged about 186,000–128,000 years ago. It is thought that the Asiatic lion remained connected to North and Central African lions until gene flow was interrupted due to extinction of lions in Western Eurasia and the Middle East during the Holocene. Asiatic lions are less genetically diverse than African lions, which may be the result of a founder effect in the recent history of the remnant population in the Gir forest. == Characteristics ==

The Asiatic lion's fur ranges in colour from ruddy-tawny, heavily speckled with black, to sandy or buffish grey, sometimes with a silvery sheen in certain lighting. Males have only moderate mane growth at the top of the head, so that their ears are always visible. The mane is scanty on the cheeks and throat, where it is only long. About half of Asiatic lions' skulls from the Gir forest have divided infraorbital foramina, whereas African lions have only one foramen on either side. The sagittal crest is more strongly developed, and the post-orbital area is shorter than in African lions. Skull length in adult males ranges from , and in females, from . It differs from the African lion by a larger tail tuft and less inflated auditory bullae. Males have a shoulder height of up to , and females of . Two lions in Gir forest measured from head to body with a long tail of and total lengths of . The Gir lion is similar in size to the Central African lion, An adult male Asiatic lion weighs on average with the limit being ; a wild female weighs . Manes Colour and development of manes in male lions varies between regions, among populations and with age of lions. In general, the Asiatic lion differs from the African lion by a less developed mane. Exceptionally sized lions The confirmed record for the total length of a male Asiatic lion is , including the tail. Mughal emperor Jahangir allegedly speared a lion in the 1620s that measured and weighed . In 1841, English traveller Austen Henry Layard, who accompanied hunters in Khuzestan, Iran, sighted a lion which "had done much damage in the plain of Ram Hormuz," before one of his companions killed it. He described it as being "unusually large and of very dark brown colour", with some parts of its body being almost black. In 1935, a British admiral claimed to have sighted a maneless lion near Quetta in Pakistan. He wrote "It was a large lion, very stocky, light tawny in colour, and I may say that no one of us three had the slightest doubt of what we had seen until, on our arrival at Quetta, many officers expressed doubts as to its identity, or to the possibility of there being a lion in the district." == Distribution and habitat ==

In Saurashtra's Gir forest, an area of was declared as a sanctuary for Asiatic lion conservation in 1965. This sanctuary and the surrounding areas are the only habitats supporting the Asiatic lion. After 1965, a national park was established covering an area of where human activity is not allowed. In the surrounding sanctuary only Maldharis have the right to take their livestock for grazing. Lions inhabit remnant forest habitats in the two hill systems of Gir and Girnar that comprise Gujarat's largest tracts of tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, thorny forest and savanna, and provide valuable habitat for a diverse flora and fauna. Five protected areas currently exist to protect the Asiatic lion: Gir National Park, Gir, Pania, Girnar, and Mitiyala Wildlife Sanctuaries. The first three protected areas form the Gir Conservation Area, a large forest block that represents the core habitat of the lion population. The other two sanctuaries Mitiyala and Girnar protect satellite areas within dispersal distance of the Gir Conservation Area. An additional sanctuary is being established in the nearby Barda Wildlife Sanctuary to serve as an alternative home for lions. The drier eastern part is vegetated with acacia thorn savanna and receives about annual rainfall; rainfall in the west is higher at about per year. The Asiatic Lion Census conducted in 2017 revealed about 650 individuals. By 2020, at least six satellite populations had spread to eight districts in Gujarat and live in human-dominated areas outside the protected area network. 104 lived near the coastline. Lions living along the coast, as well as those between the coastline and the Gir forest, have larger individual ranges. By the time of the census, approximately 300–325 lions lived within Gir National Park, and the remainder was spread across the adjoining Amreli, Bhavnagar, and Gir Somnath Districts, with populations recorded in the Girnar, Mitiyala, and Pania Wildlife Sanctuaries in addition to areas outside protected zones. In 2024 and 2025, lions began swimming to Diu Island, separated from the mainland of Gujarat by a narrow channel. These individuals were relocated to Gujarat on request of the Diu administration over concerns of disruption to human life, although conservationists protested the removal as unnecessary. Former range During the Holocene, from around 6,500 years ago and possibly as early as 8,000 years ago, modern lions colonised Southeast Europe (including modern Bulgaria and Greece in the Balkans), as well as parts of Central Europe like Hungary and Ukraine in Eastern Europe. Analysis of remains of these European lions suggests that they do not differ from those of modern Asiatic lions, and they should be assigned to this population. Historical records suggest that lions became extinct in Europe during Classical antiquity, though it has been suggested that they may have survived as late as the Middle Ages in Ukraine. Photo by Antoin Sevruguin from the National Museum of Ethnology '', a sequence of Assyrian palace reliefs, Nineveh, Mesopotamia, 7th century BCE The Asiatic lion used to occur in Arabia, the Levant, Mesopotamia and Baluchistan. By the late 19th century, it had become extinct in Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The last known lion in Iraq was killed on the lower Tigris in 1918. Historical records in Iran indicate that it ranged from the Khuzestan Plain to Fars province at elevations below in steppe vegetation and pistachio-almond woodlands. It was widespread in the country, but in the 1870s, it was sighted only on the western slopes of the Zagros Mountains, and in the forest regions south of Shiraz. In 1944, the corpse of a lioness was found on the banks of the Karun River in Iran's Khuzestan province. In India, the Asiatic lion occurred in Sind, Bahawalpur, Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Bihar and eastward as far as Palamau and Rewa, Madhya Pradesh in the early 19th century. By the late 1870s, lions were extinct in Rajasthan. By 1880, no lion survived in Guna, Deesa and Palanpur districts, and only about a dozen lions were left in Junagadh district. By the turn of the century, the Gir forest held the only Asiatic lion population in India, which was protected by the Nawab of Junagarh in his private hunting grounds. == Ecology and behaviour ==

his territory Male Asiatic lions are solitary, or associate with up to three males, forming a loose pride. Pairs of males rest, hunt and feed together, and display marking behaviour at the same sites. Females associate with up to twelve other females, forming a stronger pride together with their cubs. Female and male lions usually associate only for a few days when mating, but rarely live and feed together. Results of a radio telemetry study indicate that annual home ranges of male lions vary from in dry and wet seasons. Home ranges of females are smaller, varying between . During hot and dry seasons, they favour densely vegetated and shady riverine habitats, where prey species also congregate. Coalitions of males defend home ranges containing one or more female prides. Together, they hold a territory for a longer time than single lions. Males in coalitions of three to four individuals exhibit a pronounced hierarchy with one male dominating the others. The lions in Gir National Park often spend the day resting and are more active at twilight and by night. Studies on captive Asiatic lions also indicated that they spent nearly most of the day time lying down or inactive, with juveniles spending slightly lesser time on inactive behaviours. The activity increased towards the twilight hours, when the lions spend more time on feeding, and walking. They also sometimes engage in self and social grooming. The lions also showed various levels of increased activity in response to perceived threat or other stimuli. Feeding ecology In general, lions prefer large prey species within a weight range of , irrespective of their availability. In the Gir forest, the lions' prey includes chital (Axis axis), nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus), sambar (Rusa unicolor), and less frequently wild boar (Sus scrofa). During dry, hot months, they have also been noticed to prey on mugger crocodiles (Crocodylus palustris) on the banks of Kamleshwar Dam. They later drag the hunted carcasses into dense cover. Mating lasts three to six days. During these days, they usually do not hunt, but only drink water. Gestation lasts about 110 days. Litters comprise one to four cubs. The average interval between births is 24 months, unless cubs die due to infanticide by adult males or because of diseases and injuries. Cubs become independent at the age of about two years. Subadult males leave their natal pride latest at the age of three years and become nomads until they establish their own territory. == Threats ==

Shah Jahan hunting lions in Burhanpur region (present day Madhya Pradesh) The Asiatic lion currently exists as a single subpopulation, and is thus vulnerable to extinction from unpredictable events, such as an epidemic or large forest fire. There are indications of poaching incidents in recent years, as well as reports that organized poacher gangs have switched attention from local Bengal tigers to the Gujarat lions. There have also been a number of drowning incidents, after lions fell into wells. Conflicts with humans Since the mid-1990s, the Asiatic lion population has increased to an extent that by 2015, about a third resided outside the protected area. Hence, conflict between local residents and wildlife also increased. Local people protect their crops from nilgai, wild boar, and other herbivores by using electrical fences that are powered with high voltage. Some consider the presence of predators a benefit, as they keep the herbivore population in check. But some also fear the lions, and killed several in retaliation for attacks on livestock. In July 2012, a lion dragged a man from the veranda of his house and killed him about from Gir National Park. This was the second attack by a lion in this area, six months after a 25-year-old man was attacked and killed in Dhodadar. == Conservation ==

Panthera leo persica was included on CITES Appendix I, and is fully protected in India, Reintroduction India In the 1950s, biologists advised the Indian government to re-establish at least one wild population in the Asiatic lion's former range to ensure the population's reproductive health and to prevent it from being affected by an outbreak of an epidemic. In 1956, the Indian Board for Wildlife accepted a proposal by the Government of Uttar Pradesh to establish a new sanctuary for the envisaged reintroduction, Chandra Prabha Wildlife Sanctuary, covering in eastern Uttar Pradesh, where climate, terrain and vegetation is similar to the conditions in the Gir forest. In 1957, one male and two female wild-caught Asiatic lions were set free in the sanctuary. This population comprised 11 animals in 1965, which all disappeared thereafter. The Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project to find an alternative habitat for reintroducing Asiatic lions was pursued in the early 1990s. Biologists from the Wildlife Institute of India assessed several potential translocation sites for their suitability regarding existing prey population and habitat conditions. The Palpur-Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in northern Madhya Pradesh was ranked as the most promising location, followed by Sita Mata Wildlife Sanctuary and Darrah National Park. Until 2000, 1,100 families from 16 villages had been resettled from the Palpur-Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, and another 500 families from eight villages were expected to be resettled. With this resettlement scheme the protected area was expanded by . Gujarat state officials resisted the relocation, since it would make the Gir Sanctuary lose its status as the world's only home of the Asiatic lion. Gujarat raised a number of objections to the proposal, and thus the matter went before the Indian Supreme Court. In April 2013, the Indian Supreme Court ordered the Gujarat state to send some of their Gir lions to Madhya Pradesh to establish a second population there. The Gujarat state government has resisted relocation of lions to other states. Iran In 1977, Iran attempted to restore its lion population by transporting Gir lions to Arzhan National Park, but the project met resistance from the local population, and thus it was not implemented. In February 2019, Tehran Zoological Garden obtained a male Asiatic lion from Bristol Zoo in the United Kingdom, followed in June by a female from Dublin Zoo. There are hopes for them to successfully reproduce. In captivity Until the late 1990s, captive Asiatic lions in Indian zoos were haphazardly interbred with African lions confiscated from circuses, leading to genetic pollution in the captive Asiatic lion stock. Once discovered, this led to the complete shutdown of the European and American endangered species breeding programs for Asiatic lions, as its founder animals were captive-bred Asiatic lions originally imported from India and were ascertained to be intraspecific hybrids of African and Asian lions. In North American zoos, several Indian-African lion crosses were inadvertently bred, and researchers noted that "the fecundity, reproductive success, and spermatozoal development improved dramatically." DNA fingerprinting studies of Asiatic lions have helped in identifying individuals with high genetic variability, which can be used for conservation breeding programs. In 2006, the Central Zoo Authority of India stopped breeding Indian-African cross lions stating that "hybrid lions have no conservation value and it is not worth to spend resources on them". Now only pure native Asiatic lions are bred in India. In 1972 the Sakkarbaug Zoo sold a pair of young pure-stock lions to the Fauna Preservation Society; which decided they would be accommodated at the Jersey Wildlife Trust where it was hoped to begin a captive breeding programme. The Asiatic lion International Studbook was initiated in 1977, followed in 1983 by the North American Species Survival Plan (SSP). The North American population of captive Asiatic lions was composed of descendants of five founder lions, three of which were pure Asian and two were African or African-Asian hybrids. The lions kept in the framework of the SSP consisted of animals with high inbreeding coefficients. == In culture ==

South and East Asia from Sarnath Museum, originally erected around 250 BCE atop an Ashoka Pillar at Sarnath Neolithic cave paintings of lions were found in Bhimbetka rock shelters in Central India, which are at least 30,000 years old. The lion was a prominent symbol in various cultures and countries in South and East Asia. • The Sanskrit word for 'lion' is . Siṃha is one of the twelve months in the Hindu calendar. It is one of the twelve rāśis, that corresponds to Leo of the Zodiac. The Emblem and Flag of Sri Lanka consists of a golden lion passant holding a sword. • Singapore derives its name from the Malay words 'lion' and 'city', which in turn is from the Sanskrit and , latter also meaning 'fortified town'. The Coat of arms of Singapore consists of a lion dexter. • In early Buddhist architecture, the lion was considered auspicious, and hence it appeared as a symbol in various pillars and depiction of the Mauryan period (4th to 2nd century BCE). The Lion Capital of Ashoka, erected by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in Sarnath (), consists of four lions, and later formed the basis of the Emblem of India. • Bharat Mata, the national personification of India, is sometimes depicted accompanied by a lion. • In Hindu mythology, the half man, half lion avatar of Narasimha is the fourth of the ten incarnations of Vishnu. The Hindu goddess Durga is depicted as riding a lion as her vahana (mount). • In the Hindu epic of Mahabharata, Bharata is mentioned to deprive lions of their prowess. • The lion is the symbol of Mahavira, the 24th and last Tirthankara in Jainism. • The lion plays a prominent role in the Panchatantra, a collection of Indian animal fables, that was translated into Persian, Greek, and Hebrew languages as The Fables of Pilpay between the 8th and 12th centuries. • In Meitei mythology and Sanamahism, Kanglā shā is a sacred guardian beast with a lion's body and a two-horned dragon's head. • The earliest known Chinese stone sculptures of lions date to the Han dynasty at the turn of the first millennium. The lion dance is a traditional dance in Chinese culture that is strongly associated with Buddhism and known since at least the Han dynasty. • Simhamukha is a lion-faced protector and dakini in Tibetan Buddhism. • The lion is the third animal of the Burmese zodiac and the sixth animal of the Sinhalese zodiac. • Cambodia has a native martial art called Bokator (, pounding a lion). West Asia and Europe Lions are depicted on vases dating to about 2600 BCE that were excavated near Lake Urmia in Iran. The lion was an important symbol in Ancient Iraq and is depicted in a stone relief at Nineveh in the Mesopotamian Plain. • The lion makes appearances in the Bible, most notably as having fought Samson in the Book of Judges. • The Lion of Judah is a Jewish national and cultural symbol, traditionally regarded as the symbol of the tribe of Judah. It is mentioned in the blessing given by Jacob to his fourth son, Judah, in the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible. • Having occurred in the Arab world, particularly the Arabian Peninsula, Other Arabic words for 'lion' include asad () and sabaʿ (), and they can be used as names of places, or titles of people. An Arabic toponym for the Israeli City of Beersheba () can mean "Spring of the Lion". Ali ibn Abi Talib and Hamzah ibn Abdul-Muttalib, who were loyal kinsmen of Muhammad, were given titles like Asad Allah (). • The Lion of Babylon is an ancient Babylonian symbol, which represented the King of Babylon. The lion of Babylon is a statue at the Ishtar Gate in Babylon. The lion featured in the coat of arms of Iraq in the early 20th century and the Iraqi national football team is nicknamed "Lions of Mesopotamia". • The symbol of the lion is closely tied to the Persian people. Achaemenid kings were known to carry the symbol of the lion on their thrones and garments. The name 'Shir' (also pronounced 'Sher') () is a part of the names of many places in Iran and Central Asia, like those of city of Shiraz and the Sherabad River, and had been adopted into other languages, like Hindi. • The lion was an objective of hunting in the Caucasus, by both locals and foreigners. The locals were called 'Shirvanshakhs'. • A Bronze Age statue of a lion from either Southern Italy or southern Spain from around 1000–1200 years BCE, the "Mari-Cha Lion", was exhibited at the Louvre Abu Dhabi. • Damnatio ad bestias was a form of Roman capital punishment where the condemned person was killed by wild animals, usually lions. Games held at the Colosseum included events where gladiators fought lions. == See also ==