Asiatic Lion

[Bibhav Behera]

This particular male resides in the Daveliya enclosure in Sasan Gir which is sanctuary to 10 Lions, Blackbucks, Nilgai, Chital and Leopards to name a few. It is a smaller area of 4kmx4km area. Don't know if that qualifies as captive as the lions and leopards hunt within the enclosure.

The light was nice and pose, nothing short of Regal. Truly, the king of the Jungle!!!

Canon EOS 450D, 300mm f/4L IS USM
SS 1/200
f/8
ISO 200

Full frame image. Comments and Critiques welcome.

PS: The retention of the strip of tree on the left was intentional. Do let me know your thoughts on it.

[Atul Sinai]

Beautiful shot Bibhav. Nice details and composition. A bit of head tilt towards the camera would have enhanced the image further, not in your control though. Did you spend some time watching him and got diffirent poses of the king? TFS

Regards,
Atul

[Mrudul Godbole]

You got him quite close. I am fine with the composition. The light and the low angle is nice. How long was the sighting? Look forward to more in the series. Thanks for sharing.

[Bhargava Srivari]

I like this composition. The tree strip frames the image nicely, but I think avoiding may have given a wider/ open feel to the image. It's as if the lion is popping out of my screen!! Great work, Bibhav.

Do you have any idea why the 10 lions along with prey are kept in a small area of 4 sq. km? Easier to monitor their safety, perhaps?

tfs

[Bibhav Behera]

Hi Bhargava,
The enclosure serves a twofold purpose:
a) It is open round the year and gives a better access to tourists. We could not visit certain areas of the main park as it was closed and had access to certain specific spots only.
b) Helps as a behavioral monitoring site for the lions.

[Roopak Gangadharan]

Nice one Bhibav.sharp and good details. Do these animals have acesses to other parts of the park ??? I thought In breeding was already recognised as a big problem at Gir. This must be primarily to attract tourists.

TFS
Roopak

[Bibhav Behera]

Dear Roopak,
This is primarily for tourists I would believe, hence my mental tussle as to captive/non-captive. The lions stay in the premises but do hunt. Will share images soon. However leopards are not to be stopped :-) they move in and out of the 4x4km enclosure.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Nice low angle and image.

The fenced site is primarily for tourists. A kind of zoo in the forest, so that the influential and the lazy guys can have a quick darshan.

Enclosures can serve a purpose if you are trying to release zoo bred animals or animals that are being translocated and hence need to acclimatisation. In this case, neither of it is done and is purely for tourists.

These days are the lions being fed inside the enclosure?

[Bibhav Behera]

I was unsure whether I should post this for the same reasons as mentioned by Sabyasachi.

I did ask a couple of officials there and they said that the lions hunt inside the enclosure, however there are 2 old lions who are incapable of hunting. I'm sure they are fed.

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

I have read somewhere about proposals being mooted/thought of to have such enclosures/Fencing in Tiger Reserves/National Parks where some animals will be kept and tourist could SURELY see these Animals and photograph them and in the process disturbance in the TRs/NPs could be minimised and smalltime Tourists will not go back dissatisfied.

We have such open Zoos at Borivali,Bannerghatta and now at Gir.

Gir has surplus Lions and sometime they move upto Veraval on the Sea Coast and to other distant parts.I have also read that State Govt. has been contemplating translocatoin of some Lions of Gir to these Forests within Gujarat,if implemented,it would definitely be a good move.

I am really amused to read that you have received reply like' Leopards have Freedom of Movement(In and Out of the Enclosure) but not the Lions'.SaktiWild