What happened on World Lion Day 2026
On World Lion Day 2026, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav highlighted India’s progress in Asiatic lion conservation. The Minister cited population growth from 523 (2015) to 891 (2025) and attributed the rise to conservation work carried out by forest officials, conservationists, local communities and others involved in protecting the lion.
What the government says Project Lion aims to do
The Prime Minister announced Project Lion on 15 August 2020 with the stated goal of long-term conservation of the big cat. The government describes the project as a landscape-level approach to biodiversity conservation, focusing on multiple linked activities rather than only a single intervention.
According to the government, Project Lion includes the following management elements:
The lion range expansion reported by the government is also tied to Project Lion’s approach.
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