'Lion' Species Spotlight at Sasan Gir opens pre-IBCA Summit events; Gir lions at 891 in 2025
On 14 May 2026 Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav inaugurated the 'Lion' Species Spotlight event at Sasan Gir, Gujarat, a pre-summit event of the first IBCA Summit to be held in New Delhi on 1â2 June 2026.
Summary
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav inaugurated the 'Lion' Species Spotlight event at Sasan Gir, Gujarat, on 14 May 2026, one of the pre-summit species events of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit 2026, with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel presiding virtually. Yadav said India will host the first-ever IBCA Summit in New Delhi on 1â2 June 2026, under the tagline 'Save Big Cats, Save Humanity, Save Ecosystem', and that IBCA works for seven big cats: tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar and puma. The lion population in the Greater Gir Landscape is estimated at 891 in 2025, 32% more than in 2020, and the Asiatic lion survives as a single wild population there. The Asiatic lion is protected under Appendix I of CITES and Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and Project Lion was launched in 2020; Barda Wildlife Sanctuary is being developed as a site for the lions' natural dispersal.
Key facts
- Event
- 'Lion' Species Spotlight, Sasan Gir, 14 May 2026
- IBCA Summit
- First-ever, New Delhi, 1â2 June 2026; 7 big cat species
- Lion count
- 891 in Greater Gir Landscape (2025), +32% over 2020
- Protection
- CITES Appendix I; Schedule I, Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
- Programmes
- Project Lion (2020); Barda Wildlife Sanctuary for dispersal
Practice MCQs 3 questions
As per the Environment Ministry (May 2026), the estimated lion population in the Greater Gir Landscape in 2025 was:
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Correct answer: D â 891
The lion population in the Greater Gir Landscape rose to an estimated 891 in 2025, a 32% increase over 2020.
The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) works for the conservation of how many big cat species?
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Correct answer: C â Seven
IBCA covers seven big cats: tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar and puma.
Consider the following statements about the Asiatic lion: 1. Project Lion was launched by the Government of India in 2020. 2. The Asiatic lion is listed in Appendix II of CITES. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A â 1 only
Only 1 is correct. The Asiatic lion is in Appendix I of CITES (and Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972), not Appendix II.