JASDAN

Subject: Environment

Context: Leaving their known habitat in Dhari in Gir (east) wildlife division in Amreli district, three Asiatic lions have walked around 100 km to reach Jasdan taluka of Rajkot district, Gujarat and have been camping in a grassland and revenue areas of Jasdan for a week now.

Concept:

• Lions keep moving from surrounding areas to Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary (NGPWLS), creating what is called lion corridors.
• But their Jasdan visit differs for the fact that it is second year in a row, that too around same time of the year. Also, Jasdan is not connected to Amreli by any contiguous riverine patch associated with corridors like Krakach.
• Lions are considered top predators of grassland and shrubland ecosystems. Jasdan, Vinchhiya and Chotila talukas have grasslands, both private as well as in protected forest areas.