India's Wandering Lions

Gr 5 Up—Asiatic lions, genetically different from the more populous African lion, once wandered in vast numbers through Asia. By the 1920s, their entire population had dwindled to 20, having been hunted to near extinction, and they were put under protection. Today they are found only in India's westernmost province of Gujarat, where the Gir Forest Sanctuary offers a haven. Remarkably, there are now more than 500 lions, but the sanctuary does not provide enough territory to house the various competing prides. Nearly one third of the lions have moved out of the protected area and live close to human habitation on the edge of farming villages and small towns, where an amazing experiment is taking place. This documentary chronicles the coexistence between the predatory, wild lions and the villagers. The lions hunt and eat the deer and gazelles that would feed on the farmers' fields. The farmers in turn allow the lions free access with no retribution when the occasional ox or cow is taken. The film presents remarkable footage of rarely seen animal behavior, using thermal imaging cameras to film the night wanderings and behavior of the lions as well as leopards, hyenas, wild boar, jackals, and deer. This very unusual documentation of an astonishing partnership is a valuable lesson for students of the environment and animal and human behavior. It is a hopeful moment in the usually bleak forecast for the future of threatened species.