Lecture on Big Cat at Sasan Gir, Junagadh
Big Cat’s Status
Species No of sub-species IUCN Threat Level
Tiger 5 Endangered (EN)
Lion 2 Vulnerable (VU), but Asatic Lion-Endangered
Jaguar 8 Near Threat
Puma or Mountain lion 6 Least Concern
Leopard 9 Vulnerable (VU), but Amur leopard is Critically Endangered
Hunting leopard 3 Vulnerable (VU), but Asiatic Cheetah in Iran is c Critically Endangered
Snow leopard 2 Endangered (EN)
Clouded Leopard 2 Vulnerable (VU): Clouded leopard can be excluded from big cat category due to its size (Average below 20 kg)
Big Cat’s Population
Species World Asia India
Tiger 3,500 3,500 2230+ Number declined from about 100,000 individuals in early 20th centuary
Lion 5000-40000 525 525, actual population is over 550 in and around Gir forest
Jaguar High- 50,000+ – –
Puma/Mountain lion 50000+ – –
Leopard 100,000+ 20,000 14,000
Hunting leopard 10,000 60-100 –
Snow leopard 6,000 6,000 400
Clouded Leopard 10,000 10,000 Low