134 Lions Roam Gujarat’s Beaches — A Sign of Remarkable Conservation in the Wild?

As the sun rises over the Arabian Sea, waves roll in across the sands of Gujarat’s Saurashtra coast. Among early morning fishermen and seabirds, an unexpected figure occasionally emerges — not a beach stray dog, not a tourist, but a lion. Its massive paws press deep into the wet sand before it disappears into the nearby scrub.

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This scene is no tall tale. It’s a fast-changing reality in Gujarat, where a growing number of the state’s jungle royals — the Asiatic lions — are making the shoreline their home.

Once found only in the dense forests of Gir, these lions have begun to claim new ground. The latest census in 2025 records 891 Asiatic lions across India, including 134 living along the coast — 25 on the south-western stretch, 94 on the south-eastern, and 15 near Bhavnagar.

It’s not just about wandering. Many lions have started to settle in these coastal belts, thriving in habitats once thought unsuitable for them.

In 2023, Indian Forest Officer Parveen Kaswan shared a video of a lion strolling calmly along a beach — a sight that caught the internet’s imagination but mirrored what locals had already begun seeing first-hand.

Roaring beyond Gir 

However, this shift didn’t happen overnight. The first lion near the coastline was recorded in 1995. By 2020,100 lions were living near the shore. Just five years later, that number has risen by 34% — clear evidence that the coast is no longer a passing stop, but a new frontier.

The state’s overall lion population tells an even bigger story of recovery — from barely 10 lions in 1913 to nearly nine hundred today. For a species that once teetered on extinction, this growth marks a century-long comeback.

The 2025 census also highlights that lions are increasingly moving beyond protected forests, with 507 now living outside core sanctuaries compared to 384 within. This expansion into non-forest landscapes — farms, scrublands, and now beaches — points to an impressive adaptability shaped by decades of protection and coexistence efforts.

In November 2022, researchers from Gujarat’s forest department released findings from the first study of coastal Asiatic lions. Between 2019 and 2021, researchers fitted 10 lions with GPS radio collars to monitor their movement patterns.

While lions in Gir typically cover an average home range of 33.8 sq km, their coastal cousins roam much further — 171.8 sq km on average. Interestingly, female lions in these areas are proving to be the true wanderers: adult females were recorded covering 214.8 sq km, compared to 193.9 sq km for males. 

At the same time, new sanctuaries near the coast are emerging as stable habitats. The Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, located just 15 km from the sea, now houses 17 lions, including breeding females. Conservationists consider it a promising “second home” for the species — a sign that coastal habitats are turning from transitional zones into permanent territories.

Why are lions moving toward the coast?

1. Space in Gir is running out: Gir National Park and adjoining reserves are nearing their carrying capacity. Young males, unable to find space within the core, move out in search of new territories — and the coast offers a frontier with fewer competitors.

2. The coast offers food and comfort: Many coastal areas still offer sufficient prey — such as wild boars and blue bulls (nilgai) — as well as suitable habitat features like scrub, bushes, and agricultural edges that lions can adapt to. 

“The lions on the Gujarat coast are not only getting an adequate prey base but also have a temperature that suits them. The sea breeze keeps the heat in check,” explained  HS Singh, National Board for Wildlife member.

3. Land scarcity and encroachment: With landscapes evolving and human presence spreading, lions are finding new ways to adapt. Coastal areas, though different from their traditional forest homes, are offering fresh ground and opportunity for expansion. 

A success story with sharp edges

While the expansion is a conservation milestone, it also brings challenges:

Human-lion conflict: As lions stray into unprotected zones, they sometimes prey on livestock, prompting retaliatory measures from farmers. 

Hazards outside protected areas: Open wells, train lines, and busy roads pose risks for lions that roam beyond forest protection. Without legal shelter, rescue and monitoring become tougher.

Counting them accurately isn’t easy: Experts note that cubs and nomadic groups often go undercounted. In open landscapes like the coast, tracking movements is far more complex than inside the forest.

Looking forward

The presence of lions on Gujarat’s beaches tells a story of survival and adaptation — a century of protection that has allowed the species to reclaim space and thrive.

But it also signals a new chapter that will test how well people and wildlife can coexist when their worlds overlap.

Going forward, the challenge lies not only in keeping numbers rising but in ensuring safety — for the lions and for the communities living alongside them.
That means strengthening rapid-response teams, securing open wells, and working with local herders and fishers whose lands now share this new frontier.

If handled with care, the sight of a lion’s paw print in the sand might one day symbolise not intrusion, but resilience — proof that coexistence by the sea is possible.

Sources:

‘Bad news in good? Lion count up 32% at 891, but 57% off protected forests’: by Jumana Shah for India Today, Published on 21 May 2025.

‘Gujarat: The unusual lion sightings on India's beaches’: by Roxy Gagdekar Chhara for BBC, Published on 11 July 2022.

‘Gujarat’s Gir lions are loving coastal life like true beach babies, with population jumping from 10 in 2015 to 134 in just 10 years’: by The Economic Times, Published on 29 September 2025.

‘Asiatic lion census raises Gujarat forest dept’s anxiety as they move in unprotected zones’: by Gujarat Samachar, Published on 7 April 2025.