THE PRIDE OF GUJARAT (Asiatic Lion)

Indian Lion

(Asiatic Lion)

(Asiatic Lion Male)

Classification :

• · Kingdom : Animalia
• · Phylum : Chordata
• · Class: Mammalia
• · Order : Carnivora
• · Family : Felidae
• · Genus : Panthera Leo
• · Species: Panthera Leo Persica
• · Zoological name : Panthera Leo Persica
• · Found In : Gir Wildlife Sanctuary and Gir National Park.
  (Asiatic Lion Female)
  
  

Physical appearance :

Indian Lion is 8 -9 feet long and weighs around 200- 250 kg. It is 2.5 – 2.9 m tall. It has a majestic mane and a big tail tuft. It has large elbows. Total length of their tail ranges from 70 -105 cm.

Habitat :

Indian Lion prefers grasslands, shrub and open deciduous forests.

Diet :

Indian Lion is carnivorous and feeds on Blue Bull, Wild pig, Chital, Sambar, goats and Other Livestock Of Surrounding Village.

Reproduction :

Indian Lions reach the level of sexual maturity in 3- 4 years of age. Their breeding season rests between October to November. The gestation period rests for 31 – 2 months after which the females give birth to 3- 4 cubs.

Conservation status :

Critically endangered.

Lifespan :

Longevity of the Indian Lion exceeds to 12 – 16 years. Females have longer lifespan than the males.

The Asiatic Lion in Mythology

• Hindu Goddess Durga, a form of Parvati, has an Asiatic lion as Her vahanam or divine mount
• · "Bharat Mata" ("Mother India"), National personification of India, depicted with an Asiatic / Indian lion at Her side
• · The symbol of the lion is closely tied to the Persian people. Achaemenid kings were known to carry the symbol of the lion on their thrones and garments. The Shir-ve-Khorshid, or Lion and Sun, is one of the most prominent symbols of Iran. It dates back to the Safavid dynasty, and was used on the flag of Iran until 1979.
• · Found famously on numerous Flags and Coat of Arms all across Asia and Europe, the Asiatic Lions also appears on the National Emblem of India.
• · Narasimha ("man-lion") (also spelt as Narasingh, Narasinga) is described as an incarnation (avatara) of Vishnu within the Puranic texts of Hinduism and is worshiped as "Lion God" thus Indian or Asiatic Lions which were commonly found throughout most of India in ancient times are considered sacred by all Hindus in India.
• · Singh is a common Punjabi surname meaning "Lion" (Asiatic Lion), dating back over 2000 years to ancient India. It derives from the Sanskrit word "simha" which means lion. It was originally only used by Rajputs a Hindu Kshatriya or military caste in India since the 7th Century. After the birth of the Khalsa brotherhood in 1699, the Sikhs adopted the name "Singh" due to the wishes of Guru Gobind Singh. Along with millions of Hindu Rajputs today, it is also used by up to 10 million Sikhs worldwide.
• · "Singhāsana (lit., seat of a lion)" is the traditional Sanskrit name for the throne of a Hindu kingdom in India since antiquity.

• · The island nation of Singapore (Singapura) derives its name from the Malay words singa (lion) and pura (city), which in turn is from the Sanskrit िंसह siṃha and पुर puraAccording to the Malay Annals, this name was given by a 14th century Sumatran Malay prince named Sang Nila Utama, who, on alighting the island after a thunderstorm, spotted an auspicious beast on shore that his chief minister identified as a lion (Asiatic Lion). Recent studies of Singapore indicate that lions have never lived there, and the animal seen by Sang Nila Utama was likely a tiger.

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