**Summary:**
On August 10, 2025, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, in collaboration with the Government of Gujarat's Forest and Environment Department, will celebrate World Lion Day 2025 at Barda Wildlife Sanctuary in the Devbhumi Dwarka district of Gujarat. The event will feature the launch of a ₹180 crore wildlife conservation initiative. Dignitaries including Union Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav and Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel, along with Gujarat Forest Minister Shri Mulubhai Bera, Members of Parliament, State legislators, and other public representatives will attend.
World Lion Day aims to promote awareness about lion conservation and protection, particularly for the Asiatic Lion, which is unique to the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. The Asiatic Lion population in Gujarat has increased by 32% since 2020, from 674 to 891 as of May 2025. Celebrations will occur across 11 districts of Saurashtra, where lions roam freely across approximately 35,000 sq. km.
Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, spanning 192.31 sq. km across Porbandar and Devbhumi Dwarka districts, is emerging as a second home for Asiatic Lions, with a population of 17 lions, including 6 adults and 11 cubs, as of 2025. A safari park is planned in about 248 Ha area for which land have been allocated by the State Government. Lakhs of students from schools and colleges across the 11 districts of the Greater Gir Lion Landscape will participate virtually via satellite communication. In 2024, 18.63 lakh students participated in the World Lion Day event.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change: The Indian governmental ministry responsible for environmental protection and conservation.
World Lion Day 2025: An annual event celebrated on August 10th to raise awareness about lion conservation.
Gujarat: A state in India, specifically noted as the only habitat for Asiatic Lions in the Saurashtra region.
Shri Bhupender Yadav: The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Shri Bhupendra Patel: The Chief Minister of Gujarat.
Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, Gujarat: A wildlife sanctuary in Gujarat, specifically in the Devbhumi Dwarka and Porbandar districts, designated as a second home for Asiatic Lions.
Project Lion: A conservation initiative aimed at protecting and increasing the population of Asiatic Lions in Gujarat.
Asiatic Lion: A lion subspecies found only in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, India.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
World Lion Day 2025 to be celebrated tomorrow in
Gujarat
Union Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav and Gujarat
CM Shri Bhupendra Patel to Grace WorldLionDay
Celebrations at Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, Gujarat
180 Crore Wildlife Conservation Initiative to be
Launched
Lakhs of Students across 11 Districts to Join World
Lion Day 2025 Celebrations in Gujarat virtually
Posted On: 09 AUG 2025 11:02AM by PIB Delhi
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in collaboration with the Forest and Environment
Department, Government of Gujarat, will celebrate World Lion Day – 2025 on August 10, 2025, at Barda
Wildlife Sanctuary, Devbhumi Dwarka district, Gujarat.
The celebration will be graced by Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel, Union Minister for
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav, along with Gujarat Forest Minister Shri
Mulubhai Bera, Members of Parliament, State legislators, and other public representatives.World Lion Day, celebrated annually on August 10, aims to raise awareness about the conservation and
protection of lions worldwide. In Gujarat, the Asiatic Lion is a unique ecological and cultural treasure, found
only in the Saurashtra region. The Ministry and state’s consistent efforts under Project Lion and the leadership
of the Gujarat government have made significant strides in ensuring the survival and growth of this iconic
species.
The grand celebrations of ‘World Lion Day’ will be organized on August 10 across 11 districts of Saurashtra,
Gujarat, to promote awareness about the conservation and protection of the ‘King of the Jungle’—the Asiatic
Lion. These majestic animals roam freely in their natural habitat across approximately 35,000 sq. km in 11
districts of Saurashtra. The lion population in Gujarat has increased by 32% since 2020, rising from 674 in
2020 to 891 as per the May 2025 lion population estimation.
The Barda Wildlife Sanctuary spans 192.31 sq. km across Porbandar and Devbhumi Dwarka districts. Barda
is emerging as a second home for Asiatic Lions. After the natural migration of lion to the area in 2023, the
lion population has grown to 17, including 6 adults and 11 cubs. The sanctuary is a significant biodiversity
hotspot and a key area for the conservation of Asiatic Lions. Being in the vicinity of the Dwarka- Porbandar-
Somnath tourist circuit, the Barda area holds a significant tourism potential. A safari park in about 248 Ha
area is planned to be initiated for which land have been allocated by the State Government. Wildlife
conservation works amounting to about Rs 180.00 crore will also be launched at the event.The event will also be joined through satellite communication by the lakhs of students from the schools and
colleges across the 11 districts of the Greater Gir Lion Landscape. During 2024, 18.63 lakh students
participated in the event on World Lion Day.
***
GS
(Release ID: 2154557)