Context: The Gujarat government has proposed a second home for Asiatic lions in Gujarat at Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, about 100km away from their present home at Gir National Park.

Barda Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location: Gujarat , around 100 km west of Gir Forest National Park.

• The area falls into two erstwhile princely states of history i.e. Rana Barda, where Ranas of Porbandar ruled once upon a time and Jam Barda, where the rule of Jamsaheb of Jamnagar prevailed. 

• The sanctuary area supports maldhari families in nesses.

• It was a private reserve for Porbandar and Jamnagar before its establishment in 1979.

• Flora: Southern tropical forest, southern dry mixed deciduous forest and northern tropical thorn forest, dry deciduous scrub, and dry bamboo brakes

• It has maximum floral diversity in Gujarat.

• Fauna: Leopard, hyena, wild boar, wolf, jackal, bluebull