Himanshu Kaushik TNN
Ahmedabad: A lioness staring into the lens with a stately gaze.This one photograph on the Madhya Pradesh Tourism departments website to sell the Kuno Palpur Sanctuary has upset officials in Gujarat the only home of the Asiatic lion in the world.
Madhya Pradesh Tourism has started selling the Kuno Palpur as an alternative site for the wild cats even as the two neighbouring states fight a legal battle in the Supreme Court over shifting some lions from the Gir sanctuary.While MP is desperately seeking lions,Gujarat is steadfastly holding on to them,not ready to share the Khusboo Gujarat Ki' mascot with anyone.
Is conserving the lion really MPs aim as it has claimed in the Supreme Court,or does it simply want to bring in more tourists by adding another juicy attraction This is a question many in Gujarat are asking.
Talk of some lions being shifted started again last week when the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the cheetah reintroduction programme by the Union environment ministry in Kuno Palpur.
The text on the MP website is carefully worded.Kuno has been selected as an alternate home for the endangered Asiatic lion,which is now confined only to the Gir National Park and Sanctuary of Gujarat, the site says.The area (Kuno Palpur) is a historical range of Asiatic lions.
A senior Gujarat government official alleged that MPs lion reintroduction plan had a clear commercial angle attract more tourists.He alleged that tourism within Kuno Palpur already existed and once the lions were shifted,the number of tourists would only go up.
Ahmedabad: A lioness staring into the lens with a stately gaze.This one photograph on the Madhya Pradesh Tourism departments website to sell the Kuno Palpur Sanctuary has upset officials in Gujarat the only home of the Asiatic lion in the world.
Madhya Pradesh Tourism has started selling the Kuno Palpur as an alternative site for the wild cats even as the two neighbouring states fight a legal battle in the Supreme Court over shifting some lions from the Gir sanctuary.While MP is desperately seeking lions,Gujarat is steadfastly holding on to them,not ready to share the Khusboo Gujarat Ki' mascot with anyone.
Is conserving the lion really MPs aim as it has claimed in the Supreme Court,or does it simply want to bring in more tourists by adding another juicy attraction This is a question many in Gujarat are asking.
Talk of some lions being shifted started again last week when the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the cheetah reintroduction programme by the Union environment ministry in Kuno Palpur.
The text on the MP website is carefully worded.Kuno has been selected as an alternate home for the endangered Asiatic lion,which is now confined only to the Gir National Park and Sanctuary of Gujarat, the site says.The area (Kuno Palpur) is a historical range of Asiatic lions.
A senior Gujarat government official alleged that MPs lion reintroduction plan had a clear commercial angle attract more tourists.He alleged that tourism within Kuno Palpur already existed and once the lions were shifted,the number of tourists would only go up.
NEIGHBOURS ENVY MP has asked for the shifting of some lions from Gujarats Gir sanctuary to its Kuno Palpur sanctuary.Many in Gujarat are asking whether conserving lions is really MPs aim as it has claimed in the Supreme Court or whether it simply wants to bring in more tourists by adding another juicy attraction
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