There are only two places in the world where the lion can still be seen in its natural habitat. One is in Africa. The second is in Gir National Park in India. But there is only one place in the world where you can still see the Asiatic lion in the wild. That is in Gir.
The Asiatic lion or the Persian lion was once found in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, Mesopotamia, Pakistan, and India. But today its population is down to just over 500 individuals. All of them are in Gir.
Faced with the declining population of the Asiatic Lion, the Nawab of Junagadh established the area as a sanctuary in 1965. Today, the area is the lion’s last home.
As most people who love wildlife know, going to Gir is in no way a guarantee you will spot an Asiatic lion. But it does give you a chance.
It also helped that I was traveling with my friend Supriya, who is a wildlife biologist, and completely at home in most of India’s national parks. If I was going to see a lion in the wild, it had to be with her.
Our first step to visiting Gir was to book our safari online. This is managed by the forest officials, so anyone can make a booking directly with the
