Gujarat Coastal Asiatic Lions Prefer Wild Prey Over Livestock, Study Finds

GANDHINAGAR: A groundbreaking scientific study has debunked the long-held belief that Asiatic lions living outside the Gir forests mainly survive on livestock. Instead, researchers have found that Gujarat coastal Asiatic lions rely primarily on wild prey, reinforcing the state’s conservation success and offering a promising model for wildlife management worldwide.

Published in the international peer-reviewed journal Conservation, the study found that nearly 70% of the biomass consumed by coastal lions comes from wild prey, proving that Gujarat’s expanding coastal ecosystem provides sufficient natural food sources. The findings also suggest that lions are helping farmers by naturally controlling crop-damaging animals such as nilgai and wild pigs.

Gujarat is now home to 891 Asiatic lions, according to the 16th Lion Population Estimation conducted in 2025. More than 100 of these lions now inhabit coastal regions beyond the Gir Protected Area, reflecting decades of successful conservation efforts.

“Our study analysed 160 lion scat samples collected from the coastal districts of Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Amreli, Bhavnagar and Porbandar during March and April 2024,” said Mohan Ram (IFS), Conservator of Forests, Junagadh Circle, and one of the study’s authors.

“The analysis showed that wild prey accounted for 64% of the lions’ diet, while domestic animals contributed 31%. In terms of biomass, wild prey contributed 70%, compared to 30% from livestock,” he said.

The study identified blue bull (nilgai) as the lions’ primary food source, contributing 51% of the total biomass consumed, followed by wild pigs. Among domestic animals, cattle formed the largest share of prey.

Forest and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia said the findings demonstrate the ecological value of Gujarat’s expanding lion habitat.

“The research study indicates that the lion population outside the Gir forests is benefiting farmers by preying on blue bulls (nilgai) and wild pigs, both of which cause damage to crops. By naturally controlling their populations, lions are helping reduce crop losses,” Modhwadia said.

He also highlighted that Project Lion, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, continues to strengthen long-term conservation of the world’s only wild Asiatic lion population under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

Minister of State for Forests and Environment Pravin Mali said Gujarat’s conservation model offers valuable lessons globally.

“This study shows that lions can successfully expand into multi-use landscapes while continuing to depend mainly on natural prey. It provides an important example for large carnivore conservation programmes across the world,” he said.

Researchers noted that the study overturned their original assumption that lions living in human-dominated coastal areas would depend heavily on livestock because of limited wild prey. Instead, healthy populations of nilgai and wild pigs are sustaining the growing lion population while reducing pressure on domestic animals.

The research also observed that although cattle and buffalo occasionally form part of the lions’ diet, many of the cattle consumed are believed to be feral animals abandoned in parts of Saurashtra. These animals are easier prey than protected livestock.