Rare lions in India to get added protection

Officials announced plans Sunday to beef up security at a sanctuary for rare Asiatic lions after 13 poaching deaths over the last two months raised concern for the future of the species.

The western Indian state of Gujarat will dedicate $9 million to protect the cats in Gir National Park with more guards and advanced security equipment, including video cameras.

The lions once roamed much of Asia but only about 350 remain, all of them in Gujarat state. Their claws and bones are highly prized in Chinese medicine. The claws are also sometimes used for amulets in India, according to the Wildlife Protection Society of India.

The lions often cross the park’s boundaries to find food and water and get caught in poachers’ traps. State police have arrested five men accused of being contacts for poachers.

In addition to adding guards and cameras, the state forests department will perform DNA tests and keep profiles of the remaining lions.

“These initiatives ... will be adopted soon, and government has agreed to sanction funds for buying these systems at once. This will help us to protect Asiatic lions here better and also all the other animals in the major forests in Gujarat,” said Bharat Pathak, a forest officer.

The department will recruit nearly 300 volunteers to help patrol the sanctuary, he added.