Monitoring may help save lions

Dehradun: An alternative method of monitoring endangered lions in India can help improve estimates of their numbers and also in making informed conservation policy and management decisions. New conservation practices have helped increase the number of Asiatic lions from 50 to 500 in the Gir Forests of Gujarat. Accurate estimates are needed for better conservation efforts, according to a study published in the journal PLOS ONE. The existing methods, particularly a technique known as total counts, can miss some and double-count others. Also, they provide limited information on the spatial density. Conserving this sub-specie of lions with the use of best scientific methods is a global priority and responsibility, according to authors of the study from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). In the new study, Keshab Gogoi and his colleagues have demonstrated an alternative method for monitoring Asiatic lions. (IANS)