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Context:

• Recently, The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has released its 1st Green Status assessment for the lion (Panthera leo). It is revealing concerning news.
• On 27 March 2025 the lion was ranked as Largely Depleted on the Green Status scale but they are still listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

What is IUCN Green Status Assessment:

• The Green Status aims to provide a comprehensive view of a species conservation progress.
• It is measuring not just extinction risks but also the species ecological functionality & recovery success.
• The assessment indicates that human impact is preventing lions from being fully ecologically functional across their range.

What are the Key Findings from the Assessment:

• Decline & Extinction:
  • The lion is now extinct from North Africa & Southwest Asia.
  • decline in lion populations across large parts of their historical range.
• Conservation Successes:
  • Conservation actions have prevented extinctions in key areas like:
    • West & Southern Central Africa
    • South Africa
    • India (Gujarat)
  • Despite conservation efforts, lions are still vulnerable due to increasing human settlements across their habitats.
• Green Status Categories:
  • The Green Status tool categorises species recovery in 9 stages:
    • Fully recovered
    • Slightly depleted
    • Moderately depleted
    • Largely depleted (lion’s status)
    • Critically depleted
    • Extinct in the wild
    • Indeterminate
  • 100 species have now been assessed using this tool.

What are Lions' Subspecies Classification:

• Previously, lions were divided into 2 subspecies:

• • African Lion (Panthera leo leo)
  • Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica)
• The current classification by the IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group:
  • Panthera leo leo (they are found in Central Africa, West Africa, & Asia)
  • Panthera leo melanochaita (they are found in Southern & East Africa)

Population Estimates:

• Approximately 23000 lions in Africa (based on 2023 data).
• Around 670 lions in India. Mostly in Gujarat (based on 2020 data).

Background: Barda Dungar Sanctuary is the 2nd habitat of the Asiatic lion.

• Asiatic lions are found only in Gir Forest & other protected areas in Gujarat Saurashtra region.
• The Barda Wildlife Sanctuary was once home to Asiatic lions. But they vanished from the forest 143 years ago.
• In January 2023 A male Asiatic lion naturally recolonized the Barda Wildlife Sanctuary. So it is the return of Asiatic lions to the area after a long time.
• Since then 5 other lions have also shifted their territory from Gir to Barda.

Source: DTE