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AHMEDABAD: Around 8,000-10,000 cameras will be used to carry out the 2020 lion census in Gujarat , the last abode of the Asiatic lion . As against 15,000sqkm area surveyed in the last census, lions will be counted across 25,000sqkm area spanning seven districts.

For the first time, the expertise of Wildlife Institute of India (WII) will be perused in the census, scheduled to take place in May 2020. “The WII has sent a proposal to the Gujarat government and two rounds of meetings have been held for finalizing the modalities of the census,” WII scientist and lion expert YV Jhala said.

The 2015 lion census had counted 523 lions in the state. The number is expected to have risen phenomenally with internal assessments of the forest department indicating that the population may have crossed the 1,000-mark.

Sources said the government will adopt the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)’s technology for the lion census. “Forest department is in process of finalizing details for lion census. We are considering emulating tiger census methodology,” Shyamal Tikadar, principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) said.

As per this model, the census area will be divided into a three-km grid each. Field officers will first carry out human surveillance to recover hair, teeth, nails etc. of the animals in a scientific method as laid out by NTCA. Physical forms will also be filled out noting the description of the lions. Around 1,500-2,000 field personnel will be employed for the exercise.

“In the second phase, 8,000-10,000 cameras would be installed to capture the movement of lions,” said a senior official.

