Ahmedabad: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the central goverment to relocate some Asiatic lions from Gujarat’s Gir forest to Kuno Palpur sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.

The move, first mooted some years ago to prevent over-crowding in the Gir sanctuary, had the sanction of the Wildlife Institute of India that studied and came up with Kuno Palpur as an alternative.

The two states, both ruled by Bharatiya Janata Party governments, have since been at odds over the issue. Gujarat seems to take pride in the fact that it is the only state where lions are found in India and appears unwilling to share this glory with anyone. Gujarat government officials argued in the court that Kuno is not favourable for lions as it houses tigers and leopards, and is rife with instances of poaching. Madhya Pradesh officials countered that the state is equipped with all the necessary infrastructure, expertise and environment for translocating the lions.

Interestingly, Kuno Palpur has also been identified as a possible location for the reintroduction of the cheetah, now extinct in India.