Born free

This is not a coffee table book as the price might suggest. The large number of colour photographs is complemented by substantive textual matter. The Story of Asia's Lions by Divyasinh is a comprehensive study of the Asiatic lion but in today's context. It raises a crucial question in the reader's mind: is the lion going to be threatened by extinction like the tiger? A recent article confirms one's worst fears. A few carcasses of lions, obviously killed by poachers, were found in the Gir Sanctuary with their claws cut off. Earlier tiger claws were often made into amulets or pendants to ward off evil. Since they are not easily available anymore, why not use lion claws? The future does not appear bright for the 300-odd lions at Gir, the only lion sanctuary in India.

"There was a time when the lion roamed Asia from Palestine in the west to Palamau in eastern India. It was the most visible of the larger cats and it struck awe in its human observers as no other animal did." The opening sentence in the book indicates the sharp fall in the number of Asiatic lions. They have to share the sanctuary space with 14 forest villages and 54 cattle pens of the Maldhari herdsmen which adds up to a human population of around 2,500 and livestock population of about 13,000 heads. The three Hindu pilgrimage sites inside the Sanctuary cause more human influx during festivals. The incidence of a lion killing cattle and being killed by Maldharis is not uncommon.

Hunting lions was a favourite pastime of Mughals as well as the British, who appropriated power from them. This is dealt with elaborately, substantiated by photographs, many from the author's personal collection. The reader realises that despite being an established icon whose images graced armrests of thrones and were an integral part of temple artifacts, there was no move to stop the killing of lions. The first king who showed interest in them, never shooting one though he was a crack shot, was Nawab Rasulkhanji of Junagadh, who agreed to create a sanctuary for lions in Gir in 1906. Though lions were shot in his state, the number was low as compared to other states. He had set a healthy tradition, and thanks to him, the Asiatic lion survived in Gir.

His descendant Nawab Mahbatkhanji, who was very fond of animals, showed a similar concern about depleting wildlife in the state and would not allow wolves, leopards or lions to be shot though he did not object to shooting wild boar, chinkara or even black boar (something unthinkable today). In 1925 he issued a firman, the highest form of official declaration, banning all shikaar in the state. It is said that as he left Junagadh for Pakistan, he looked at the Girnar mountain peaks with tears in his eyes and said, "Who will protect my lions now?" During the upheavals of 1947, the protection of Gir and its inhabitants took the backseat. As the situation stabilised, a decision was taken to conduct a census in 1950. This yielded a range between 217 and 227 lions. The situation is marginally better today, but one must remember that this is the only lion sanctuary in the country, helping the majestic cat lead a dignified life.

THE STORY OF ASIA'S LIONS

Divyasinh
Marg Publications
Price: Rs 1,800; Pages: 209