Renuka Lion Safari

Lion’s of Renuka Face Extinction

Once a home to 29 lions in 1998, the Renuka Lion Safari in Sirmaur district, today has just a single pair of giant cat. The apathy of Forest Wild Life Department and Central Zoo Authority (CZA) towards the king of jungle has even disqualified the Renuka Lion Safari to be called a safari. If the condition doesn’t improve, then it will lead to the decimation of lion’s lineage in the Renuka Safari by 2020. Notably, there are around 400 wild lions remaining in India. This beautiful, rare and highly endangered animal, the Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica) is a subspecies of the African Lion. Strength of lions and lionesses in this zoo was 29 in 1998 which has come down to two in the present time. This zoo was established in 1957. 12 years old Mamta (lioness) and 13-years old Nishu (lion) will complete their average age by 2020 and the lion safari will then lose existence if the pair fall in trap of any disease and eventually succumbs to it. However keeping in view the lineage snag, the Wildlife Department and CZA has kept the pair in different cages for the last two decades but not brought pair from some another place for cross breeding to save the lineage. In-breeding or crossing-over within one-linage lead to inherited weak immunity, which took a heavy toll on the ‘forest king’ as it decimated lion after lion between 1996 and 2000. The last casualty happened last year when a lioness died after prolonged illness. Few lucky ones were shifted in 2005 to Gopalpur in Kangra district and Chhatbir in Punjab in April 2010 on the recommendation of Central Zoo Authority (CZA). The proposal of the then Divisional forest officer (DFO) Dr Sushil Kapta in 2011 to bring a pair of Asiatic lion from Bennergatta Biological Park in Karnataka for cross breeding to save the lions lineage in Renuka Safari was granted nod by Karnataka government. But CZA has kept the matter hanging for the last two years. The King of the Jungle is forced to live a life of slave. The pair is feed with chicken or mutton instead of beef. There is not even a single regular veterinary employee for the health concerns of endangered species. The panchayat representatives of the concerned area and Sangrah Vikas Manch have conveyed their anguish on the apathy and negligence of the department on the matter to the Union Forest Minister through a letter. President of Renuka ji Vikas Board and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Vinay Kumar told Himachal This Week that he has brought the matter of saving the lineage at Renuka safari and bringing back the shifted five lions and lioness in front of government. According to DFO Ashok Chauhan and Range Officer Shobh Ram of Wildlife Department, the proposal of bringing a pair of lion has not got government’s grant. But we are ensuring the availability of basic facilities to the pair of lion at Renuka safari.