New Delhi, Jun 10 (IANS): Crediting the people of his home state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Wednesday that population of the Asiatic lion in Gujarat's Gir forest has gone up by a whopping 29 per cent.

"Two very good news: Population of the majestic Asiatic Lion, living in Gujarat's Gir Forest, is up by almost 29 pc. Geographically, distribution area is up by 36 pc," Modi tweeted.

He added,"Kudos to the people of Gujarat and all those whose efforts have led to this excellent feat."

The Asiatic lion, once faced with imminent extinction has shown a population recovery which has been acclaimed as a global conservation success story. Today, Asiatic lions are present in Protected Areas and agro-pastoral landscape of Saurashtra covering nine districts in a sprawling expanse of over 30000 sq km which is termed as the Asiatic Lion Landscape.

Modi further claimed, "Over the last several years, the lion population in Gujarat has been steadily rising. This is powered by community participation, emphasis on technology, wildlife healthcare, proper habitat management and steps to minimise human-lion conflict. Hope this positive trend continues!"