Gir National Park

The dry teak forests and rocky hills of Gir in Saurashtra, Gujarat are the only place in the world where the Asiatic lion still lives in the wild. A safari here offers the rare chance to see a pride resting in the shade of a tree, just as lions once roamed across much of West and South Asia.

At the start of the 20th century only a small number of lions survived, protected by the Nawab of Junagadh. Decades of conservation, together with the coexistence of the local Maldhari pastoral communities, have allowed the population to grow and spread beyond the park. Gir is also home to leopards, chital, sambar, nilgai, chinkara and mugger crocodiles in its reservoirs.

Safaris start from Sasan Gir, and the Devalia interpretation zone offers a shorter fenced drive. The park usually closes during the monsoon months.