NATIONAL STUDBOOK Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica)

Transcription

1 NATIONAL STUDBOOK Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica) Published as a part of the Central Zoo Authority sponsored project titled Development and maintenance of studbooks for selected endangered species in Indian zoos Data: Till December 2013 Published: May 2014

2

3 National Studbook Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) Published as a part of the Central Zoo Authority sponsored project titled Development and maintenance of studbooks for selected endangered species in Indian zoos Project Personnel Ms. Nilofer Begum Junior Research Fellow Project Consultant Anupam Srivastav, Ph.D. Principal Investigator(s) Dr. Parag Nigam Shri. P.C. Tyagi Copyright WII, Dehradun, and CZA, New Delhi, 2014 This report may be quoted freely but the source must be acknowledged and cited as: Wildlife Institute of India (2014) National Studbook of Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica). Published as part of Central Zoo Authority sponsored project to Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. Technical Report (TR-2014/005). Any correspondence in this regard needs to be marked to: Principal Investigator Studbook Project Wildlife Institute of India P.O.Box #18, Chandrabani, Dehradun Uttarakhand, INDIA

4 STUDBOOKS PREPARED (Previous editions) Choudhury, B.C. and Chellam, R. (2003). National Studbook for the Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica). Published as part of Central Zoo Authority sponsored project to Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. Pp: 96. Srivastav, A., Nigam, P., Malviya, M. and Tyagi, P.C. (2011). Indian National Studbook of Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica). Published as part of Central Zoo Authority sponsored project to Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. Pp: 390.

5 FOREWORD For species threatened with extinction in their natural habitats, ex-situ conservation offers an opportunity for ensuring their long-term survival. Maintaining genetically viable and demographically stable populations in captivity can ensure their sustained survival. This can be ensured by using pedigree information contained in studbooks that form the key to understanding the demographic and genetic structure of populations and taking corrective actions as required for effective management of captive populations. Studbooks also provide an insight into the mating choices that can be exercised to maximize retention of genetic diversity. The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has initiated a conservation breeding program for threatened species in Indian zoos. As a part of this endeavor a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with the Wildlife Institute of India for compilation and update of studbooks of identified species in Indian zoos. As part of the project outcomes the WII has compiled an updated National studbook for Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) in Indian zoos. The population management recommendations contained in the studbook should form the basis for the long term management of the species in captivity. It is hoped that the zoos will adopt the recommendations and keep the WII informed of changes in their populations on a regular basis to enable the timely update of the studbook. (B.S. Bonal, I.F.S.) Member Secretary Central Zoo Authority

6

7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report is a part of the assignment to the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun by the Central Zoo Authority, New Delhi on the development and maintenance of studbooks of selected endangered species in Indian zoos. The authors are thankful to the Central Zoo Authority for the financial support in carrying out the assignment. The guidance and support extended by Shri. B.S. Bonal IFS, Member Secretary, CZA is gratefully acknowledged. The authors also thank Dr. Brij Kishore Gupta, Evaluation and Monitoring Officer, Dr Devender Singh, Scientific Officer and the support staff of the Central Zoo Authority for facilitating this work. The valuable advice and support provided by Dr. V.B. Mathur, Director, WII and Dr. P.K. Mathur, Dean Faculty of Wildlife Sciences, is duly acknowledged. We also thank Mr. Mukesh Arora for providing secretarial assistance in formatting this document. We acknowledge the support from zoo directors, biologists, curators and veterinarians from the following contributing zoos for providing pedigree information that led to the successful establishment of the studbook. Alipore Zoological Garden, Kolkatta Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Chennai Bannerghatta National Park, Bangalore Dr. Shyamaprasad Mukharjee Zoological Garden, Surat Gir Safari Park, Junagadh Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, Visakapatnam Kamla Nehru Zoological Garden, Ahmedabad Kanpur Zoological Park, Kanpur Lion Safari Vasona, Silvassa Lucknow Zoological Park, Lucknow Mahendra Choudhary Zoological Park, Chat-bir, Mohali Nandankanan Biological Park, Bhubaneswar National Zoological Park, Delhi Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad Rajkot Zoo, Rajkot Rampara, Junagadh Sakkar Baugh Zoo, Junagadh Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park, Patna Shri Sayaji Baug Zoo, Vadodara Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Garden, Mysore Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park, Tirupati Authors

8

9 TABLE OF CONTENTS Asiatic Lion: Biology and Status... 1 Methodology... 4 Status of living Asiatic lion in Indian Zoos... 5 Results Demographic status of the Asiatic lion population in Indian zoos Genetic status of the Asiatic lion population in Indian zoos Targets for population management Pairing Recommendations Conclusions and recommendations References Appendix I - Historical Listing of Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) in Indian zoos Soft copies of National Studbook of Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) and the Pedigree Chart Report are enclosed in the CD as Asiatic_lion_SB_2014.pdf and Asiatic_Lion_PR_2014.pdf respectively.

10

11 1. Asiatic Lion: Biology and Status 1.1 Taxonomy of Asiatic lion Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Scientific Name Animalia Chordata Mammalia Carnivora Felidae Panthera leo persica Infra-specific Authority (Meyer, 1826) Common Names 1.2 Biology Asiatic Lion, Indian lion, Babbar Sher (Hindi) etc General Characteristics The animal is tawny with a paler belly, and the abdomen and inner-side of legs white. The males are larger than females and have a pronounced mane. The Asiatic lion differs from its African con-specifics in having a prominent belly fold and being slightly smaller than African subspecies (Pocock 1930 and Haas et. al. 2005). The males have a less pronounced mane than their African counterparts with the ears are clearly visible (Pocock 1939). Table 1: Biological attributes of Asiatic lion Attributes Males Females Body weight kg kg Age at first reproduction (free ranging) 5 8 years 4 years Age at first reproduction (in captivity) 3 4 years 2 3 years Longevity Approximately 16 years Approximately years Gestation period 116 days approximately Litter size Ranging from 1 5 cubs (Source: Haas et. al. 2005) Habitat Lions primarily inhabit the Gir landscape of Gujarat that has a dry deciduous forest cover interspersed with, moist mixed riverine valley forest patches along the perennial rivers and tropical thorn forest (Berwick 1976). They avoid the intense midday heat and human activity by remaining in the cooler mixed forest riverine patches during day time. Emerging out from these areas in early mornings or in evenings when temperatures and human activity are lower (Jhala et. al. 2009) Feeding ecology and behaviour Chital (Axis axis); is the most common prey, however; Sambar (Rusa unicolor); larger in size is the preferred prey species (Chellam 1993; Khan 1994). The females and male coalitions cooperate to hunt prey. Larger preys are preferred over the smaller prey by females with prides; while single males or male coalitions may show preference for smaller sized prey (Johnsingh and Chellam 1991). 1

12 1.2.4 Social organization and behaviour They are social animals living in prides of 2 or more than 2 females and 1 or more adult males with cubs and sub-adults. The prides are matrilineal with the males dispersing on reaching adulthood. Related or unrelated males associate to form groups to hunt and challenge existing dominant males in prides. The social organization of Asiatic lions differs from African lions in that breeding lionesses defend resource based territories while male coalitions maximize coverage of female groups. Males generally associate with their pride females only when mating or on a large kill (Jhala et. al. 2009). The reproductive behaviour of the sub-species is similar to other large felids with the males locating females in estrous and the females initiating sexual activity. Meena (2010) has described their reproductive behaviour to include the indication of her reproductive status by vocalizations and scent marking; location of females in estrous by the male/ male coalition, followed by a brief courtship. After this the females presents her posterior to the male for intromission. After ejaculation the male dismounts and there is a brief aggressive interaction involving female vocalization and the male moves a little distance away and rests. The females rolls over and rests for a while. This process is repeated several times with the frequency waning towards the end of 3 7 day period of reproductive activity. 1.3 Distribution The Asiatic lion had a distribution ranging from Greece, Syria in the west through Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and up to India in the east. Within India during the past hundred years lions were distributed through the present day states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Today the Asiatic Figure 1: Current distribution of Asiatic lion (Map Source: Meena 2009) lions have been reduced by hunting and habitat loss to a single population in the Gir forests of Gujarat (Chellam and Johnsingh 1993). 1.4 Threats The species currently exists as a single population, and are vulnerable to extinction from random catastrophes, such as an epidemic or a large forest fire. The current population is growing at a steady rate and some of the animals are dispersing out of the Gir area into areas with intensive agriculture and poor prey base, resulting in predation on domestic livestock. While current tolerance levels of lion human conflict are high due to intensive compensation programmes (Bannerjee et. al. 2013) they may change in future as the growingg population of lions continue to disperse outside the protected area 2

13 system and the level of conflict increases, this may lead to lions being poached (Breitenmoser et. al. 2008). 1.5 Status of Asiatic Lion Census conducted by the Gujarat Forest Department in 2005 and 2010 revealed the existence of 359 and 411 adult lions respectively in a greater Gir landscape comprising of the Gir National Park and adjoining forest and revenue lands in Junagadh and neighboring districts. Based on the low population level the species has been listed as: Endangered D ver 3.1 IUCN Red List, 2008 (Breitenmoser et. al. 2008). CITES Appendix I and Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972) GOI. 1.6 Status in captivity The studbook includes a historical population of 767 ( ) with the current population of 162 ( ) specimens held in 21 Indian zoos in India. These also includes 3 (2.1) animals released to the wild and 6 (3.3) animals transferred to foreign zoos. The details of the current population are summarized in tables 2 a & b and figure 2. The status of Asiatic lion in captivity is based on the data received till December Total N Year Zoos Total N Figure 2: Summary of change in population size and genetic diversity Zoos Table 2a: Status in captivity (December 2013) Sl. No. Zoo Name Female Male Unknown Total 1. Alipore Zool. Garden, Kolkatta Arignar Anna Zool. Park, Chennai Bannerghatta National Park, Bangalore Dr. Shyamaprasad Mukharjee Zoological Garden, Surat Gir Safari Park, Junagadh Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, Visakapatnam Kamla Nehru Zool. Garden, Ahmedabad Kanpur Zoological Park, Kanpur Lion Safari Vasona, Silvassa Lucknow Zoological Park, Lucknow M.C. Zoological Park, Chat-bir, Mohali Nandankanan Biological Park, Bhubaneswar National Zoological Park, Delhi Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad Rajkot Zoo, Rajkot Rampara, Junagadh Sakkar Baugh Zoo, Junagadh Sanjay Gandhi Biol. Park, Patna

14 Sl. No. Zoo Name Female Male Unknown Total 19. Shri Sayaji Baug Zoo, Vadodara Sri Chamarajendra Zool. Gar, Mysore Sri Venkateswara Zool Park, Tirupati Total animals in Captivity in Indian zoos Released to wild 22. Gir Forest Wildlife Sanctuary, Junagadh Table 2b: Animals moved to zoos outside India Animals moved out of the Indian region Sl. No. Zoo Name Female Male Unknown Total 23. Zoo Dvur Kralove, a.s Singapore Zoological Gardens Unknown Total animals moved to zoos outside India Methodology 2.1 Collection and organization of pedigree information from zoological institutions in standardized formats: The pedigree information on individual specimens was collected through mailed questionnaires, field visits to zoos and from the websites of CZA and Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS). The data collected from holding zoos was entered in Single Population Analysis and Records Keeping System (SPARKS v 1.66) (ISIS, 2004). Studbook numbers were assigned to individual specimens on the basis of their chronology in captivity. The data was then validated in SPARKS for checking the accuracy of data entered. This data was exported to PMx v 1.2 (Ballou et al. 2010) which was then used as input in PMx for further demographic and genetic analysis. 2.2 Developing population management plans for managing Asiatic lion in captivity: Since, demographic and genetic analysis provides details of respective status of the current population; these were used for identifying demographic and genetic targets for the population. Population management plan and pairing options were also developed using the goals and pairing option of PMx. 2.3 Scope and Assumptions of the Studbook The current population of Asiatic lion in Indian zoos comprises of 153 ( ) individuals. Three animals were released into the wild and six animals have been moved out of the Indian region. These have also been included by SPARKS in the files exported for analyses by the PMx software for further demographic and genetic analyses. This inclusion is due to the software and not intentional. The current location of the animals is listed at the end of table 2 as animals moved out of the Indian region. 4

15 3. Status of living Asiatic lion in Indian Zoos The living population of Asiatic lion in Indian zoos is presented in table 3. The bulk of the population is maintained at Sakkarbaug Zoo, Junagadh; with Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad and Rajkot Zoo, Rajkot also making important contributions. The historical listing and pedigree charts of the Asiatic lion population are placed as Appendix I and II respectively. Table3: Location wise listing of living animals Sl. No. National Studbook No. Localid/Name Transponder Regional SB# Sex Date Sire Dam Location Date Event Individuals in captivity in Indian zoos Alipore Zool. Garden, Kolkatta Shiva 0006b72caf M 13-Aug HYDERABAD CALCUTTA 13-Aug Sep Durga 0006b8964f F 4-Jan HYDERABAD CALCUTTA 4-Jan Sep-10 Arignar Anna Zool. Park, Chennai Bachan M 22-Aug MADRAS 22-Aug-95 Bannerghatta National Park, Bangalore Ganesha M 28-Nov BANNERGHA 28-Nov-96 Dr. Shyamaprasad Mukharjee Zoological Garden, Surat Shyamal 0006b74950 M 15-Jan JUNAGADH SURAT 15-Jan Oct Tejal 0006b89ccb F 25-Jan JUNAGADH SURAT 25-Jan Oct M 3-May JUNAGADH SURAT 3-May Oct-11 Gir Safari Park, Junagadh Babita F 27-Jun GIR SAFAR 27-Jun SANGEETA F 27-Jun GIR SAFAR 27-Jun F 5-Jul GIR SAFAR 5-Jul F 5-Jul GIR SAFAR 5-Jul M 5-Jul GIR SAFAR 5-Jul Gautum 0006b b72add Gaurav 0006b883c b72d82 Shyani Selja 0006b72bb4 M 12-May JUNAGADH GIR SAFAR M 12-May JUNAGADH GIR SAFAR M 12-May JUNAGADH GIR SAFAR F 15-Jan JUNAGADH GIR SAFAR F 15-Jan JUNAGADH GIR SAFAR 12-May Dec May Dec May Dec Jan-09 1-Sep Jan-09 1-Sep Tej 0006b7f6d Teja 0006b8aa Ranjini 0006b715d Ranjita 0006b72b07 M 25-Jan JUNAGADH GIR SAFAR M 25-Jan JUNAGADH GIR SAFAR F 11-May JUNAGADH GIR SAFAR F 11-May JUNAGADH GIR SAFAR 25-Jan-09 1-Sep Jan-09 1-Sep May Aug May Aug-12 5

16 Sl. No. National Studbook No. Localid/Name Transponder Regional SB# Sex Date Sire Dam Location Date Event Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, Visakapatnam Azam 0006b7f350 M 29-Oct HYDERABAD VISAKAPAT Amla F 29-Oct HYDERABAD 0006b89a90 VISAKAPAT Laxmi F 4-Jan HYDERABAD f6b VISAKAPAT Kamla Nehru Zool. Garden, Ahmedabad a3 M ~ 2005 GUJARAT Ambar JUNAGADH Janki 00-01d8-7dcb Kanpur Zoological Park, Kanpur CHOUNMI Vishnu 6.11e LAKSHM Lion Safari Vasona, Silvassa SONAL AHMEDABAD F ~ 2007 GUJARAT JUNAGADH AHMEDABAD F 12-Mar HYDERABAD KANPUR M 4-Jan HYDERABAD KANPUR F 6-Jan HYDERABAD KANPUR F 2-Mar JUNAGADH SILVASSA 29-Oct Oct Oct Oct-10 4-Jan Jun-12 ~10 Sep Sep Dec-08 ~ 3 May May Dec Mar Feb-03 4-Jan-09 6-Apr-13 6-Jan-11 6-Apr-13 2-Mar-99 5-Sep-02 Capture Capture Dharma 00-01d9-4fbe Viral 00-01bc-9cc1 Lucknow Zoological Park, Lucknow Hir d5e Heer Kuber 0006cc31fa M ~ 1997 GUJARAT JUNAGADH SILVASSA M ~ 1998 GUJARAT JUNAGADH RAJKOT JUNAGADH SILVASSA F 20-Feb RAJKOT LUCKNOW M 10-Oct RAJKOT LUCKNOW M.C. Zoological Park, Chat-bir, Mohali Abhay M???? UNK UNK HYDERABAD DELHI CHATBIR Z Heli F 20-Feb RAJKOT b8a CHATBIR Z Nandankanan Biological Park, Bhubaneswar ED SHYAMA Pichhan 00-01d F 26-Jan JUNAGADH NANDANKAN M ~ 1998 GUJARAT JUNAGADH NANDANKAN National Zoological Park, Delhi Chunni F 25-Mar HYDERABAD DELHI ~21 Dec Dec Sep-06 ~28 Feb Feb Sep Jul-09???? 20-Feb-08 7-Apr Oct-11 7-Apr-13???? 9-Nov Jun Feb-08 6-Mar Jan Mar-13 ~13 Apr Apr Mar Mar Mar-05 Capture Capture Capture 6

17 Sl. No. National Studbook No. Localid/Name Transponder Regional SB# Sex Date Sire Dam Location Date Event Rohan M 26-Aug DELHI 26-Aug M 19-May DELHI 19-May Akhila F 19-May DELHI 19-May-09 Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad Al0018 M 21-Mar HYDERABAD 21-Mar-97 Sankar Rita F 7-Sep HYDERABAD 7-Sep b73d9a Atul M 7-Sep HYDERABAD 7-Sep b7eb M 19-Jan HYDERABAD 19-Jan-00 AJAY M 19-Jan HYDERABAD 19-Jan-00 AMRUTH M 12-Mar HYDERABAD 12-Mar F 20-Apr-00 UNK UNK HYDERABAD 20-Apr-00 SOWS Amrit/akash M 19-Jan HYDERABAD 19-Jan Sonia/soni F 20-Apr HYDERABAD 20-Apr b Jyothi/veer F 16-Mar HYDERABAD 16-Mar-03 U0006b71b8f Aruna F 17-Sep HYDERABAD 17-Sep Abhi M 29-Oct HYDERABAD 29-Oct b Vishwas M 28-Jul HYDERABAD 28-Jul b743dc Vasu 0006b73cf6 M 6-Sep HYDERABAD 6-Sep Crazy 6.83e+73 M 14-Mar RAJKOT HYDERABAD 14-Mar Mar M 6-Jan HYDERABAD 6-Jan M 6-Jan HYDERABAD 6-Jan F 6-Jan HYDERABAD 6-Jan-11 Rajkot Zoo, Rajkot Parth Moj e Masti b Yashvi Arjun 0006b8964f Neel 0006cc131f Elsha 0006f1be EFDFE CC123A M 27-Oct RAJKOT 27-Oct-92 F 17-Aug RAJKOT 17-Aug-04 F 17-Aug RAJKOT 17-Aug-04 F 18-Apr RAJKOT 18-Apr-06 M 29-Oct HYDERABAD 29-Oct-06 RAJKOT 14-Mar-11 M 17-Mar RAJKOT 17-Mar-09 F 27-Sep RAJKOT 27-Sep-11 F 27-Sep RAJKOT 27-Sep-11 F 10-Oct RAJKOT 10-Oct-11 7

18 Sl. No. National Studbook No. Localid/Name Transponder Regional SB# CC05C Saumya 0006ef7ee2 Rampara, Junagadh Dhiraj c Jambo 00-01c2-a71b Saniya 00-01bc-9cf Babar 00-01fd-748a Jambudi 00-01bc-96b Asha ee Sutra 0006b Suleh 0006b89b Dhara 0006b88a43 Sex Date Sire Dam Location Date Event F 10-Oct RAJKOT 10-Oct-11 M 3-Feb RAJKOT 3-Feb-12 M ~ 2007 GUJARAT JUNAGADH RAMPARA M ~ 2007 GUJARAT JUNAGADH RAMPARA F ~ 2007 GUJARAT JUNAGADH RAMPARA M F ~Apr 2007±2m ~May 2007±1m GUJARAT JUNAGADH RAMPARA GUJARAT JUNAGADH RAMPARA F ~ 2006 INDIA GIR SANCT JUNAGADH RAMPARA M ~ Mar 2008 INDIA JUNAGADH RAMPARA M ~ Mar 2008 INDIA JUNAGADH RAMPARA F ~ Aug 2008 INDIA JUNAGADH RAMPARA 8 ~10 Sep Sep-07 3-Dec-10 1-May-07 3-May-07 3-Dec-10 1-May-07 3-May Feb-10 ~28 Jun Jun-08 3-Dec-10 ~26 Sep Sep Feb Oct Oct-07 2-Sep-09 3-Dec Oct Oct-08 7-Dec Oct Oct-08 7-Dec-10 1-Nov-08 1-Nov Jul-12 Capture Capture Capture Capture Capture Capture Capture Capture Capture F 4-May RAMPARA 4-May B F 4-May RAMPARA 4-May B713CF F 4-May RAMPARA 4-May B M 25-Feb RAMPARA 25-Feb M 25-Feb RAMPARA 25-Feb F 25-Feb RAMPARA 25-Feb-12 Sakkar Baugh Zoo, Junagadh F 28-Mar JUNAGADH 28-Mar-98 PAMI F 2-Mar JUNAGADH 2-Mar-99 SWATI M 21-Jun JUNAGADH 21-Jun-99 SHAMBU Tulsi 0001d94ffa Satyabhama Sarjit c-5ff4 F ~ Nov 1999 GIR SANCT JUNAGADH F ~ Nov 2002 GIR SANCT JUNAGADH M ~ 1996 GUJARAT JUNAGADH ~ Apr Apr-01 ~ Feb Feb-03 ~18 May May-04 Capture Capture Capture

19 Sl. No. National Studbook No. Localid/Name Transponder Regional SB# Veer d-7614 Sut Dheer d-91a8 Sut Khapat Sex Date Sire Dam Location Date Event M ~ 1999 GUJARAT JUNAGADH M ~ 1999 GUJARAT JUNAGADH ~19 May May-07 ~19 May May-07 Capture Capture M ~Feb GUJARAT ~22 Aug 2007 Capture ±6m JUNAGADH 22-Aug Geeta F 5-Jul GIR SAFAR JUNAGADH GIR SAFAR JUNAGADH 5-Jul Mar Dec-08 2-Sep fd-748a M ~ 2005 GUJARAT JUNAGADH ~28 Jun Jun-07 Capture Roon F 27-Jul JUNAGADH 27-Jul bd-7d Mariyam F 3-Nov JUNAGADH 3-Nov bc-9e Maheshwari F 3-Nov JUNAGADH 3-Nov bc Tejaswini f1 F 22-Aug-07 GIR SAFAR JUNAGADH 22-Aug Aug Kunvari F 10-Jan-08 UNK UNK JUNAGADH 10-Jan bc94f Manthan M 18-Feb JUNAGADH 18-Feb b72e3f Maytri F 18-Feb JUNAGADH 18-Feb b740c Krish fcaf M 14-Mar RAJKOT JUNAGADH 14-Mar Jul M 4-Jun JUNAGADH 4-Jun BC Tulja F 4-Jun JUNAGADH 4-Jun bc92a Yash 0006cc0dd6 M 17-Mar RAJKOT JUNAGADH 17-Mar-09 5-Aug Gigo 0006cc0819 M 18-May RAJKOT JUNAGADH 18-May-09 7-Aug Jasal f9d4 M ~ 2000 INDIA JUNAGADH 28-Jun Jul-09 Capture Ranshi dc F ~ 2002 INDIA JUNAGADH 26-Jun Jun-08 Capture Rudi 0006b718d7 F ~ 2003 INDIA JUNAGADH 9-Jul-09 9-Jul-09 Capture Aftab ab M ~ 2004 INDIA GIR SANCT 21-Oct Oct-07 Capture Ambalika ca Ambika d Sujan 0006b88f Jesica 0006a2a39a JUNAGADH F 12-Jan-05 UNK 470 GIR SAFAR JUNAGADH F 12-Jan-05 UNK 470 GIR SAFAR JUNAGADH M ~ Mar 2008 INDIA JUNAGADH F ~ 2008 INDIA JUNAGADH 27-Aug Jan Aug Jan Aug Oct Oct Jun Jul-09 Capture Capture 9

20 Sl. No. National Studbook No. Localid/Name Transponder Regional SB# Yuvaraj d Aashka 0006b8a3c Trakuda Sex Date Sire Dam Location Date Event M 28-Aug JUNAGADH 28-Aug-08 F 16-Sep-08 UNK 683 JUNAGADH 16-Sep-08 M???? INDIA GIR SANCT JUNAGADH Aug Aug Sep-09 Capture Yuvaraj M 28-Aug JUNAGADH 28-Aug d Aashka F 16-Sep-08 UNK 683 JUNAGADH 16-Sep b8a3c Taukir M 10-Feb JUNAGADH 10-Feb b72f Torul F 10-Feb JUNAGADH 10-Feb b73a Greeva F 22-Feb JUNAGADH 22-Feb b Geerza F 22-Feb JUNAGADH 22-Feb b8a6b Greeshma F 22-Feb JUNAGADH 22-Feb b8adfb Geet M 22-Feb JUNAGADH 22-Feb b8b Subhi F 3-May JUNAGADH 3-May b77a Such-ii F 3-May JUNAGADH 3-May b71b Ranita F 11-May JUNAGADH 11-May b71bca Amal M 13-May JUNAGADH 13-May b717d Amy F 13-May JUNAGADH 13-May b71e Amiya F 13-May JUNAGADH 13-May b Hemal 0006b73e50 M ~ May 2010 INDIA JUNAGADH 19-Sep Oct-10 Capture b885d4 Hemali F ~ May 2010 INDIA JUNAGADH 19-Sep Oct-10 Capture Tejika F 9-Aug JUNAGADH 9-Aug b Tejas M 9-Aug JUNAGADH 9-Aug b Teeta F 9-Aug JUNAGADH 9-Aug b F ~ Nov 2010 INDIA JUNAGADH 28-Jun Jun-11 Capture M 3-Dec JUNAGADH 3-Dec B73FF F 19-Dec JUNAGADH 19-Dec B F 8-Feb JUNAGADH 8-Feb Teethi F 25-Feb JUNAGADH 25-Feb Tapasy F 25-Feb JUNAGADH 25-Feb M 5-Apr RAMPARA JUNAGADH 5-Apr-12 9-Apr-12

21 Sl. No. National Studbook No. Localid/Name Transponder Regional SB# Sanjay Gandhi Biol. Park, Patna Vishal 0006b73305 Sex Date Sire Dam Location Date Event M 28-Jul HYDERABAD PATNA F 13-Aug HYDERABAD PATNA Saraswati 0006b73e8b Shri Sayaji Baug Zoo, Vadodara Gel F 18-May RAJKOT e754 JUNAGADH VADODARA Kunvar M 24-Jun GIR SAFAR JUNAGADH VADODARA Sri Chamarajendra Zool. Gar., Mysore Manan/shank A00-06b M 18-Feb JUNAGADH MYSORE Het/gowri Tirupati Chary 0006b74c32 Totals no. of individuals in Indian Zoos: 173( ) Animals released to the wild Gir Forest Wildlife Sanctuary, Junagadh MAYURI SACHIN Jehal 00065d7521 Totals no. of individuals released to the wild: 3(2.1.0) Animals moved out of the Indian region Zoo Dvur Kralove, a.s Avani/chunn I0006b Brahma da F 20-Feb RAJKOT JUNAGADH MYSORE M 12-Mar HYDERABAD TIRUPATI F 26-Jan JUNAGADH GIR SANCT M 2-Mar JUNAGADH GIR SANCT M???? INDIA JUNAGADH GIR SANCT F 12 Mar HYDERABAD DVURKRALV M 29-Mar HYDERABAD DVURKRALV Singapore Zoological Gardens, Singapore PAMELA F 20-Mar JUNAGADH SINGAPORE Khapat M ~ 2002 INDIA GIR SAFAR JUNAGADH SINGAPORE Amba F 12-Jan-05 UNK 470 GIR SAFAR JUNAGADH SINGAPORE Unknown M 19-Jan HYDERABAD PRANAY UNKNOWN Totals no. of individuals moved out of the Indian region: 6(3.3.0) 28-Jul Aug Aug Aug May-09 7-Aug Oct Jun-08 3-Jul Oct Feb-08 6-Mar Feb Jul-09 6-Mar Mar-00 ~ Jan-97 2-Sep-09 2-Mar-99 2-Mar Aug Aug Nov Mar-00 8-Mar Mar-08 8-Mar Mar Apr-94 4-Oct-04 4-Oct Aug Mar Jan Dec Mar Jan Mar-05 Capture Capture 11

22 4. RESULTS 4.1 Demographic status of the Asiatic lion population in Indian zoos The description and prediction of population growth and age structure is of importance in developing species specific management plans for maintaining stable long term populations. The census trends, age distribution and population growth rates based on life table analyses are discussed below and the outcomes of these analyses have been used to develop long term population management plans Census trends The census trends of the captive Asiatic lion population are summarized in figure 3. The figure indicates a steady growth in population size with captive born animals forming the bulk of the population after The current population has approximately 20% animals of wild origin. # of animals Year Lambda from Census # Institutions Total N Male Female Unknown Sex Total Wild Born Total Captive Born Figure 3: Census trends of the captive Asiatic lion population in Indian zoos Lambda Equal sex ratio was observed from , however; a male biased sex ratio was observed from The population was biased towards females from and again from 2010 onwards. The number of zoos holding the species in captivity has increased from the initial single location to the current 21 zoos. The historic average growth rate λ (lambda) from census (Figure 3) indicates that the species during its tenure in captivity has shown moderate change and had a stable size for almost 25 years. The population however, has also shown rapid increase during 19 years. During its initial history in captivity, the large values of λ obtained were the artifacts of the small population size; that result in even small changes being reflected as high values of lambda. The population has shown declining trends (11 years) over a part of its tenure. When λ > 1.00, the population is increasing; when λ < 1.00, population is decreasing; and when λ = 1.00, the population is stable. The difference between the value of lambda and 1.00 indicates the magnitude or annual rate of change Age Distribution The Asiatic lion population in Indian zoos has a large proportion of individuals in the reproductively active age classes with 91% of the females of the age classes 21/2 to 14 years and 80% of males in age classes of 3 to 16 years. The proportion of individuals in the age class that most animals actively reproduce includes 3 9 years for females (42%) and 4 15 years for males (53%). 12

23 The population consists of 21 males and 13 females in the reproductively senescent age classes and 5 males and 10 females in the pre-reproductive age classes. These latter individuals as they grow have the potential to contribute to the growth of the population. The above results suggest that the population is steadily increasing and has the potential of rapid growth. However; if the population size is to be maintained at current levels, reproductive activity needs to be regulated to allow selected pairs to reproduce each year. This will ensure the desired slow rate of population increase while lengthening generation length leading to a slower loss of genetic diversity with time. Figure 4: Age distribution of known age living individuals Life Table Analysis For many species, males and females have different age- related patterns of reproduction and mortality. A population growth is determined by how these different age- specific patterns of birth and death rates interact with the population s structure. These differences are summarized in a life table (Caughley 1977; Ebert 1999). It displays the vital rates viz. mortality (Qx); fecundity (Mx) and related rates for each age class separately for males and females. Additionally life tables help in identifying vulnerable age classes in population and developing management strategies to counter this vulnerability Fecundity rates (Mx) The reproductive life span of the captive Asiatic lion population is indicated by fecundity rates presented in figure 7. It suggestss that the females are reproductively active by 2.5 years of age and remain so till 13.5 years of age; however peak reproductivee activity is observed from 4 9 years of age. Reproductive activity declines after the ninth year and reproductive senescence sets in by the 14 th year of life. For males, the age of Figure 7: Fecundity rates of the Asiatic lion in Indian zoos onset of reproductivee activity is also 2.5 years of age; however they continue to be reproductively active for longer till 15 years of age when they become inactive. Additional peaks observed after 15 years for 13

24 reproductive activity in males are outliers and can be ignored as the number of individuals is too small and the graph represents the proportion of individuals in each age class Mortality Rates Age- specific patterns of mortality (Qx) for males and females show very high levels of neonatal mortality. Mortality rates remain high for the first year of life and decline after that to peak again in the 11 th year for males and 13 th year for females. Thereafter mortality rates show alternate peaks and troughs till the 21 st year for males and 22 nd year for females which is the maximum longevity recorded for known age individuals in the Indian population. Figure 8: Mortality rates of the Asiatic lion in Indian Age- specific patterns of survivorship (lx) Age- specific patterns of survivorship (lx) indicate the median survivorship of a population. Females have 50% likelihood of surviving beyond the first year of life whereas for males the higher mortality in the first year of life suggests that approximately 45% of the animals are likely to survive beyond the first year of life. In the age classes between one 19, females have a higher survivorship rate; while males have greater chances of surviving in the higher age classes. The Figure 9: Survivorship of the Asiatic lion in Indian zoos survivorship patterns of the population suggest that animals below one year of life are most vulnerable Population growth rates: The population shows a positive growth rate (for (r) the instantaneous rate of change and (λ) the proportional change in population). Similar values for both the population growth measures show a demographically stable Table 5: Vital rates of the Asiatic lion population Life Table Summary Total Males Females r λ T 7.7 years 8.3 years 7.1 years population with little change in the demographic characteristics of the population. Males show a higher growth rate for both the measures of growth. The generation time for males is longer than that for females. The generation time is relatively longer for the species as compared to the first age of reproduction. This indicates that a lower rate of loss of genetic diversity over time due to the fewer generations required for achieving demographic goals. 14

25 r : Instantaneous rate of change of the population, averaged for males and females. If r > 0, the population is increasing; if r < 0, it is decreasing. Lambda (λ): The proportional change in population size from one year to the next based on life table calculations (expected lambda), averaged for males and females. Lambda > 1 for increasing populations; lambda < 1 for declining populations. T : Mean generation time (averaged for males and females), which is the average age of reproduction (production of offspring). It is also the average time from reproduction in one generation to reproduction in the next generation. T is not the age of first reproduction. 4.2 Genetic status of the Asiatic lion population in Indian zoos An important prerequisite for maintaining threatened species in captivity is ensuring the retention of maximum possible genetic diversity from the free ranging population. The Asiatic lion population in Indian zoos fulfills this criterion as it has retained approximately 96% of the genetic diversity of the original founders. It has 39 founders contributing to the captive population and an additional 20 potential founder animals that if judiciously used can increase the gene diversity of the population to 99%. The relatedness within the population has also been maintained at a low level as indicated by the values for population mean kinship and mean inbreeding. Table 6: Genetic Summary of the Asiatic lion population in Indian zoos Parameters Values Founders 39 Potential (additional) Founders 20 Living Animals 162 Living Descendants % Ancestry Known 98% % Ancestry Certain 98% Gene Diversity Population Mean Kinship Gene Value Founder Genome Equivalents Founder Genomes Surviving Potential Gene Diversity Mean Inbreeding Ne/N Genetic variation retained in populations is the basis for adaptive evolution and maintains the population s potential to adapt to environmental change. Several studies indicate a general, positive relationship between genetic variation and both individual and population fitness (Vrijenhoek 1994; Frankham 1995; Saccheri et al and Lacy 2009). Following sections discuss the details of contributions made by wild origin animals to the captive gene pool. 15

26 4.2.1 Founders The Asiatic lion population in Indian zoos was founded with wild origin individuals and included relatively few individuals in captivity till 1970 when the captive population started reproducing and the population started growing. The status of wild origin animals present in the population at the end of each decade since inception is ; ; ; ; ; ; and at the end of 2013 the population contained 33 wild origin animals. Figure 11: Founders in the captive population over time Founders: Wild origin animals are usually considered founders, if they reproduce. However; they are treated as potential founders before contributing genetically to the captive population. Accordingly not all wild origin animals included in the population can be considered as founders. Founder Genome equivalents: Any loss of founder genetic diversity by way of skewed founder contributions and genetic drift can be explained by founder genome equivalents (fg) (Lacy 1989, 1995). It is the number of founders required to obtain the levels of genetic diversity that are observed in the current population if the founders were all equally represented and had retained all their alleles in the living population. Gene diversity retained: Gene diversity (GD) is the level of expected heterozygosity in a population. GD ranges from 0 to 1 and is one of the principal measures of genetic diversity in populations. For captive breeding of threatened species the proportion of heterozygosity (introduced by way of wild origin animals) surviving in the current population is of importance. Founder contribution: It is the percentage of an individual s or population s genes that have descended from each founder. Allele retention: Genetic contribution by founders through only one or a few animals may cause their elimination due to the failure of the progeny to reproduce or produce only a few offspring. Inbreeding: Inbreeding is the mating of related individuals. Off-spring of related parents will be inbred; with closer the relatedness of parents higher the level of inbreeding. It is measured by its inbreeding coefficient (f ), which is the probability of receiving the same allele from each parent. Mean inbreeding is the average of inbreeding coefficients of all animals in the current population and is an indicator of the overall inbreeding level. Potential genetic diversity: Living founders that have produced only a few off-spring, or living animals that have no descendants in the population but are still capable of reproducing, represent individuals that can still potentially contribute to genetic diversity of the population by producing additional offspring. Effective population size (Ne): The extent and rate of loss of gene diversity is dependent on the genetically effective population size (Ne) of a population. It s a measure of the population s capacity to maintain genetic diversity over generations is termed as effective population size. Genetic diversity is lost at the rate of 1/(2Ne) per generation. It is Founder Statistics Ensuring an equal representation of the genetic diversity brought in by each founder animal is crucial for maintaining the same levels of genetic diversity in the captive population as sampled from the free ranging population. However; it is difficult to achieve this as some animals are highly successful in breeding and overrepresented at the expense of other animals. Figure 12 presents the genetic representation of wild origin animals in the captive gene pool. It suggests that a few animals are grossly overrepresented in the living population while others are under-represented. Further a total of 106 wild origin animals have failed to contribute their genes to the captive population. The animals which have 16

27 Representation MateOf184 MateOf MateOf MateOf MateOf Unique ID Figure 12: Founder representation in the captive Asiatic lion population not contributed to the gene pool include 23 animals that are alive and 18 animals that are in the breeding age based on age assumptions provided. The remaining wild origin animals have passed on without making any contributions to the captive population and the genetic diversity retained in them has been permanently lost. Founder contribution and allele retention follow similar trends. Future breeding plans must ensure a better representation of the under-represented and non-represented lines Founder genome equivalents The founder genome equivalents (Figure 13) of the Asiatic lion population in Indian zoos show trends similar to inclusion of founders over time. This indicates that the loss of genetic diversity due to skewed founder contribution and genetic drift is minimal and not a cause of concern Gene diversity retained The Asiatic lion population in Indian zoos continues to retain a high level (more than 90%) of genetic diversity after the initial founding phase (Figure 14). This has been brought about by the inclusion of a large number of founder animals in the population and equitable allele retention due to the complex pedigrees of the founder animals. Figure 13: Founder genome equivalents across time Figure 14: Gene Diversity retained over time Inbreeding Figure 15 presents the mean inbreeding in the Asiatic lion population in Indian zoos since its inception. The population shows a rise in inbreeding levels after 1980 which peaked in 1998 and 2007 with a slight decline in between. The inbreeding levels have started declining once again since then. The 17

28 presence of a large number of founders; a large population size and appropriate mating choices continue to maintain low levels of inbreeding in the captive population. Table 7 presents the inbreeding coefficients of individual specimens since the inception of the population. A large proportion (N = 618) of the population is not inbred (f = 0 ); few (N = 19) have low levels of inbreeding (f <= ); However 95 individuals have Figure 15 Mean inbreeding across time inbreeding coefficients above Individuals with unknown ancestry (N = 35) are placed at the end of table as animals with unknown inbreeding coefficients as inbreeding coefficients can be calculated only for individuals of known lineage. Table 7 Inbreeding coefficients in the Asiatic lion population in Indian Zoos Inbreeding Sex Unique ID coefficient 0 Female 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 44, 45, 55, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 67, 71, 75, 76, 77, 79, 82, 85, 86, 89, 91, 93, 95, 96, 97, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 106,109,, 114, 116, 117, 119, 122, 128, 129, 130, 132, 134, 135, 136, 137, 140, 144, 145, 146, 148, 149, 152, 153, 155, 162, 167, 173, 174, 175, 176, 183, 184, 201, 203, 220, 223, 229, 234, 241, 244, 246, 247, 251, 252, 255, 259, 260, 261, 263, 266, 267, 268, 269, 270, 276, 277, 278, 285, 286, 287, 289, 293, 299, 303, 304, 310, 311, 313, 314, 315, 320, 321, 324, 329, 330, 331, 332, 333, 335, 336, 338, 341, 348, 349, 356, 357, 361, 362, 363, 364, 365, 367, 371, 372, 375, 376, 377, 379, 381, 390, 396, 399, 402, 403, 405, 409, 410, 411, 412, 413, 414, 415, 421, 422, 437, 439, 440, 442, 443, 444, 447, 450, 454, 456, 457, 458, 463, 464, 467, 468, 470, 471, 486, 487, 489, 493, 494, 495, 496, 497, 498, 500, 502, 505, 509, 513, 514, 521, 522, 524, 526, 527, 528, 529, 536, 537, 538, 542, 543, 544, 545, 546, 550, 552, 561, 562, 569, 571, 573, 575, 576, 578, 583, 584, 585, 588, 589, 593, 594, 595, 597, 601, 603, 604, 606, 607, 609, 610, 611, 612, 618, 622, 623, 629, 630, 631, 634, 637, 640, 643, 647, 649, 650, 651, 652, 659, 662, 673, 676, 677, 679, 681, 683, 684, 685, 687,694, 695, 697, 703, 705, 706, 709, 714, 715, 717, 718, 719, 722, 723, 724, 727, 729, 730, 731, 733, 734, 736, 737, 739, 740, 741, 743, 744, 746, 752, 753, 754, 755, 756, 757, 769, 770, 771, 776, 777 Male 2, 4, 7, 8, 10, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 28, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39, 43, 46, 54, 56, 57, 58, 66, 68, 69, 70, 72, 73, 74, 78, 80, 81, 83, 84, 87, 88, 90, 92, 94, 98, 99, 105, 107, 108, 118, 120, 121, 127, 138, 139, 147, 150, 151, 154, 161, 163, 195, 196, 202, 228, 240, 245, 249, 250, 262, 264, 265, 271, 272, 275, 288, 291, 292, 297, 298, 300, 301, 302, 305, 306, 309, 312, 318, 319, 322, 323, 325, 328, 334, 337, 339, 340, 342, 343, 344, 345, 346, 347, 355, 358, 359, 360, 366, 374, 378, 380, 386, 387, 388, 389, 391, 392, 393, 397, 398, 400, 401, 404, 406, 407, 408, 416, 417, 418, 419, 420, 428, 429, 433,,436, 438, 441, 445, 446, 448, 449, 451, 452, 453, 455, 460, 461, 462, 465, 466, 469, 476, 477, 478, 479, 481, 485, 488, 492, 499, 501, 503, 504, 506, 507, 508, 510, 511, 512, 515, 516, 517, 519, 520, 523, 525, 530, 531, 532, 533, 534, 535, 539, 547, 549, 551, 553, 555, 556, 559, 560, 563, 564, 565, 566, 567, 568, 570, 574, 577, 586, 587, 590, 592, 596, 599, 600, 602, 605, 608, 613, 614, 615, 616, 617, 619, 620, 621, 624, 625, 627, 628, 632, 633, 635, 636, 642, 644, 645, 646, 648, 653, 654, 655, 656, 657, 658, 660, 661, 663, 664, 665, 671, 672, 674, 675, 678, 680, 682, 688, 689, 690, 691, 692, 696, 698, 699, 704, 707, 708, 712, 713, 720, 721, 725, 726, 732, 735, 738, 742, 745, 747, 748, 749, 751, 767, 768, 772, 773, 774, 775 Unknown 115, 141, 142, 156, 157, 187, 188, 189, 194, 204, 205, 217, 224, 235, 274, 307, 373, 394, 395, 459, 472, 473, 474, 490, 491, 518, 540, 541, 548, 579, 580, 581, 582, Unknown Male 764, 765, Female 668, 669 Male 638, 639,

29 Inbreeding coefficient Unknown Sex Unique ID Female 179, 430, 758, 759, 760, 762, 763 Male 177, 178, 761 Female 50, 52, 124, 125, 126, 160, 165, 166, 169, 170, 186, 212, 280, 282, 283, 284, 326, 327, 354, 423, 424, 427, 572 Male 47, 48, 49, 51, 53, 123, 158, 159, 164, 168, 185, 211, 242, 279, 281, 368, 369, 370, 425, 426 Unknown 180, 181, 182, 232, 233, 248 Female 29, 30, 31, 206, 208, 209, 210, 214, 218, 219, 230, 238, 239, 253, 254, 317, 711 Male 32, 207, 213, 215, 256, 257, 290, 316, 710 Unknown 216, 221, 222 Male 641, 667 Female 666 Female 432, 434, 435, 484 Male 431, 483 Female 351, 352, 353, 382, 383, 384 Male 350, 385 Female 110, 111, 112, 113, 143, 225, 226, 227, 480, 482, 591, 700, 701 Male 190, 191, 192, 193, 199, 231, 258, 294, 295, 296, 308, 702 Unknown 131, 133, 171, 172, 197, 198, 200, 236, 237, Potential genetic diversity The living population of Asiatic lion in Indian zoos has 23 wild origin animals with no contribution to the genee pool (Figure 16). However; only 18 of thesee animals are in the reproductive age classes and the remaining five animals have reached reproductive senescence. Figure 16: Potential allele retention in the Asiatic lion population in Indian zoos Equitable contributions by these animals to the gene pool can further raise the genetic diversity of the population from the current 96% to 99% Effective population size (Ne) The ratio of the effective size to the censuss size (Ne/N) of the Asiatic lion population in Indian zoos and translates to a genetically effective population size of approximately 28 individuals. 4.3 Targets for population management Asiatic lion is an endangered persisting as a single free ranging population in the Greater Gir landscape of Gujarat. It therefore becomes imperativee to maintain captive populations with the objective of maintaining genetically viable and demographically stable populations for insurance in captivity, 19