BARDA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

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Context

• After Gir National Park and Sanctuary, the Barda Wildlife Sanctuary (BWLS) is set to become the second home to Asiatic lions.

Details

• The Gujarat Forest Department presented its proposal to make BWLS the second home to the lions as part of "Project Lion @ 2047".

Project Lion

About

• Project Lion is an initiative launched by the Government of India in 2021 to conserve and protect the Asiatic Lion and its habitat.

Aim

• The project aims to address the threats faced by the Asiatic lion population in India, which is found only in the Gir National Park and Sanctuary in Gujarat.
• The project also aims to create new habitats for the lions to increase their distribution and establish a second home for them outside Gir.

Implementation

• The project will be implemented by a specially constituted Asiatic Lion Conservation Project Management Board (ALCPMB), which will work in collaboration with state forest departments, conservation NGOs, and local communities to achieve its objectives.
• Under Project Lion, several measures will be implemented, including habitat improvement, disease control, and strengthening of the lion population's gene pool.

Barda Wildlife Sanctuary

• Barda Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Gujarat.
• It is situated approximately 15 kilometres from Porbandar and 100 kilometres west of Gir Forest National Park.
• Previous to its 1979 establishment as a wildlife sanctuary, Barda was a private reserve for Porbandar and Jamnagar.
• There are several forest sub-types, such as southern tropical forest, southern dry mixed deciduous forest and northern tropical thorn forest, while other predominant flora include Euphorbia scrub, dry deciduous scrub, and dry bamboo brakes. Important fauna are blue bull, chinkara, blackbuck, and wolf.