Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as Sasan Gir, is a forest and wildlife

sanctuary near Talala Gir in Gujarat, India. It is located 43 km (27 mi) north-east of Somnath,
65 km (40 mi) south-east of Junagadh and 60 km (37 mi) south-west of Amreli. It was
established in 1965, with a total area of 1,412 km2 (545 sq mi), of which 258 km2 (100 sq mi) is
fully protected as national park and 1,153 km2 (445 sq mi) as wildlife sanctuary. It is part of the
Kathiawar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion.

The 14th Asiatic Lion Census 2015 was conducted in May 2015. In 2015, the population was
523 (27% up compared to previous census in 2010). The population was 411 in 2010 and 359 in
2005. The lion population in Junagadh District was 268 individuals, 44 in Gir Somnath District,
174 in Amreli District, and 37 in Bhavangar District. There are 109 males, 201 females and 213
cubs.

Gir National Park is closed from 16 June to 15 October every year. The best time to visit it is
between December and March. Although it is very hot in April and May, these are the best
months for wildlife viewing and photography.

In the 19th century, the rulers of Indian princely states used to invite the British colonists for
hunting expeditions. At the end of the 19th century, only about a dozen Asiatic lions were left in
India, all of them in the Gir Forest, which was part of the Nawab of Junagarh's private hunting
grounds. British viceroys brought the drastic decline of the lion population in Gir to the attention
of the Nawab of Junagadh, who established the sanctuary. Today, it is the only area in Asia
where Asiatic lions occur and is considered one of the most important protected areas in Asia
because of its biodiversity. The Gir ecosystem with its diverse flora and fauna is protected as a
result of the efforts of the government forest department, wildlife activists and NGOs. It is now
considered the jewel of Gujarat's ecological resources. The count of 2,375 distinct fauna species
of Gir includes about 38 species of mammals, around 300 species of birds, 37 species of reptiles
and more than 2,000 species of insects.

The carnivores group mainly comprises the Asiatic lion, Indian leopard, jungle cat, striped
hyena, Golden jackal, Indian gray mongoose and Ruddy mongoose, and honey badger. Desert
cats and rusty-spotted cats occur but are rarely seen.

The main herbivores of Gir are chital, nilgai, sambar, four-horned antelope, chinkara and wild
boar. Blackbucks from the surrounding area are sometimes seen in the sanctuary. Among the
smaller mammals, porcupine and hare are common, but the pangolin is rare.

The reptiles are represented by the mugger crocodile, Indian cobra, tortoise and monitor lizard
which inhabit the sanctuary's bodies of water. Snakes are found in the bush and forest. Pythons
are sighted at times along the stream banks. Gir has been used by the Gujarat State Forest
Department which formed the Indian Crocodile Conservation Project in 1977 and released close
to 1000 marsh crocodiles into Lake Kamaleshwar and other small bodies of water in and around
Gir.