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| History of Gir National Park |
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The Gir National Park was established on 18th September, 1965, primarily to conserve the Asiatic lion- classified as one of the world's most threatened species. It comes under the state of Gujarat, India.
The Asiatic lion once had a wide range in natural territory running from NW India through Persia to Arabia. But unfortunately hunted as a coveted trophy item during the British Raj era, it is now only found in the Gir forest of Gujarat. The famine of 1899 so decimated the Asiatic lion population that Lord Curzon cancelled his shoot at Gir, where he was staying as the guest of Nawab Junagadh. Curzon persuaded the Nawab to protect the remaining lions. In 1965, the Indian Government declared this place as a National park. The lion population which had sunk to an alarming two dozen in the early 20th century has slowly climbed over the years since, and now numbers about 300.
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