Amreli Groundnut Gir Cattle Asiatic Lion Sasan Gujarat

Amreli district in Saurashtra is at the heart of the Gir forest landscape that shelters the last wild population of Asiatic lions (Panthera leo persica) — 674 lions (2020 census) in and around the Gir National Park whose dry deciduous forest, scrub, and grass provide ideal prey base of chital and sambar. The Maldharis (cattle herders) who traditionally grazed their Gir cattle inside the sanctuary have been partially relocated, but their traditional knowledge of lion behaviour and movement is invaluable to wildlife managers. Amreli district also grows groundnut on the red sandy soil of Saurashtra — the famous Junagadh-Amreli groundnut belt where groundnut oil (Kachi Ghani moomphali tel) is cold-pressed in small oil mills for local consumption.