Gir National Park is well known to attract a huge crowd of tourists to witness the iconic Asiatic lions in their natural habitat. Gir National Park is the only paradise on earth that these beasts call home. Asiatic Lions were almost listed critically endangered and hunted to extinction in 2000. Their population has recovered well thanks to the conservation efforts by the government. The core zone of the park extends to over 260 sq. km and became the national park in the year 1975. A decade ago, the sanctuary was established.
According to 2015’s latest census, there has been a 27% rise in the population of Asiatic Lions in Gir and nearby areas since the year 2010. With 213 cubs, 201 females, and 109 male lions, there are 523 lions recorded in the last census. Around 600 lions were found in the area in a recent count by the Gujarat government in March 2018. Officially, the next census is scheduled by the end of 2020. Leopards, jackals, antelope and deer also call Gir’s forested hills their home. It also has over 300 resident bird species and crocodiles.
Location
Gir National Park is located 360 km from Ahmedabad, 40 km from Veraval and 65 km from Junagarh, in the southwest part of Gujarat. Sasan Gir Village houses the entry gate to the park and the park orientation and reception center is located at the park, which is located next to the official Sinh Sadan guest house by the forest department.
It also has Devalia Safari Park (Gir Interpretation Zone) which is located around 12km west of Devalia. This area is enclosed to around 4 sq. km and has different types of wild animals, along with lions. You can embark on around 40 minutes of tour on a bus.
Getting There
Ahmedabad is located only 7 hours away and is the closest major airport. At three hours away is a smaller airport of Rajkot and Diu is 2 hours away.
Junagarh is the closest railway station and is easy to approach to the park. Trains from Rajkot and Ahmedabad also stop here at Junagarh and are well connected to several major cities.
By road, the national park is located 1 and a half hours away from Sasan Gir. It is one hour away if you are getting there via Veraval. You can also save money by getting here through public buses.
You can take a private bus from Ahmedabad to Sasan Gir to reach Sinh Saan Guest House, which is even easier than reaching by train. Private bus stands arrange buses which take around 7 hours near Paldi bus stop. You don’t have to book a bus in advance.
Best time to visit
Most tourists prefer December to March to visit the national park. But it gets crowded in peak hours and receives long queues. From March to May, you can also see Asiatic lions when they come out near water sources. Try to take the first safari in the morning where they remain very active. Rest of the day, lions prefer to sleep and don’t move around. Avoid holidays and weekends when the park receives a lot of crowds and charges higher fees.
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