(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) As many as 2000 trained employees of the forest department of the Gujarat government will carry out the lion census from May 2 for four days.

Ahmedabad: Five years have passed by and it’s time again for the lion census in Gujarat the only home of the Asiatic jungle king.

As many as 2000 trained employees of the forest department of the Gujarat government will carry out the lion census from May 2 for four days.

The last census conducted in April 2010 had revealed that the population of the big cats had increased from 359 in 2005 to 411.

A forest department official said the census using GPS system and direct sighting method would cover a bigger — 25000-square-kilometres — area in four districts of Bhavnagar Jamnagar Porbandar and Rajkot.

Though the main Gir wildlife sanctuary is spread over 1412 square kilometres the search area has increased from 10000 sq km in 2010 to 25000 sq km as the majestic animals have been found straying into more areas often getting killed by falling in open wells or speeding trains or live electric fences.

Some 250 lions have died since 2010.

Fearing extinction of the Asiatic lions the Supreme Court had in April 2013 ruled that some lions from the Gir forest be shifted to Kuno wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.

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