Gir Forest National Park

Gir Forest National Park
Gir National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Family of Asiatic lions at Gir Forest National Park
Location Map
Location	Junagadh District, Gir Somnath District and Amreli District Gujarat, India
Nearest city	Talala (Gir)
Coordinates	21°08′08″N 70°47′48″E / 21.13556°N 70.79667°E / 21.13556; 70.79667Coordinates: 21°08′08″N 70°47′48″E / 21.13556°N 70.79667°E / 21.13556; 70.79667
Area	1,412 km2 (545 sq mi)
Established	1965
Visitors	60,148 (in 2004)
Governing body	Forest Department of Gujarat

The Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary (also known as Sasan-Gir, and गिर वन) is a forest and wildlife sanctuary near Talala Gir in Gujarat, India. Established in 1965, with a total area of 1,412 km² (545 sq mi) (about 258 km² (100 sq mi) for the fully protected area of the national park and 1,153 km² (445 sq mi) for the Sanctuary, the park is located 43 km (27 mi) north-east of Somnath, 65 km (40 mi) south-east of Junagadh and 60 km (37 mi) south-west of Amreli. Its ecoregion is that of Kathiawar-Gir dry deciduous forests, which not only includes Kathiawar Peninsula, where the forest is located, but also other places, like Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan.

Its region is the sole home of the Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) in the wilderness, and is considered to be one of the most important protected areas in Asia due to its supported species. The ecosystem of Gir, with its diverse flora and fauna, is protected as a result of the efforts of the government forest department, wildlife activists and NGOs. The forest area of Gir were the hunting grounds of the Nawabs of Junagadh. However, faced with a drastic drop in the lion population in Gir, Nawab Sir Muhammad Rasul Khanji Babi declared Gir as a "protected" area in 1900. His son, Nawab Muhammad Mahabat Khan III later assisted in the conservation of the lions whose population had plummeted to only 20 through slaughter for trophy hunting.