Good Morning everybody!
Today I am going to deliver a speech which will focus on the lions of the Gir Forest (Gujarat).
Not many people know about these lions living in The Gir forest. They are Asiatic lions (Pantheraleopersica) and historically they ranged in a large area from Greece through Iran, and all the way to India. People might wonder why the forest had to be converted into a sanctuary. Well, these lions were threatened to death and came to be recognised as endangered species.
Human activities like felling of trees, granite mining in the region and increase in the township area led to the massive destruction of the forest and posed a great threat to the lions living in the forest. The lions in this forest resorted to feed themselves on the livestock. Not only this, many lions moved out of the forest and wandered in villages and towns. Just imagine how scary it would be if you suddenly find a wild animal like lion on the streets?
It is therefore high time to realize the plight of these lions who have to abandon their home- the forest and roam astray on the streets of the villages and towns because they have no shelter. Let us be kind to these animals and conserve their home so that they do not intrude into human areas where they can become a threat. An equilibrium must be maintained between the animals and the humans.
We need to find more homes for these lions where they live happily. The government should focus on relocation of wild animals and finding new shelters for them. Hunting and poaching of lions and tigers should be banned and penalized.
With these measures, I really hope we can bring a change. I hope people get sensitized enough to work for this cause.
Thank you.