When you see the Asiatic lion in India,what you sense is enormous vitality.They're very impressive beasts and you would never guess that they had this vulnerability when you look at them.The Asiatic lions don't have the Gir Sanctuary to themselves,I should add.They actually share it with about two thousand farmers.A significant proportion of the lions' diet is made up of the livestock of these farmers - goats,chickens and so on - as much as a third,in fact.And they've even been known to attack humans,especially in times of drought.One final piece of interesting information - in ancient India one of the greatest tests of leadership for a man was to fight a lion.Now it seems,in modern India it will be a great test to see if the lion can be saved.I'm sure this is something that all of you will share concern for too.
