The Indian Lion finds himself in a tug of war between the governments of Gujrat and Madhya Pradesh. The Gujjus don't want to lose their pride of lions though they seem to heading towards extinction like their other cousins - the tigers.

Some of the reasons provided against the move to the forests of Madhya Pradesh are that the big cats' staple diets of sambar deer, neelgai and chital would not be availabe in their new home and point out to a rather flimsy fact that there has yet to be a precedent where the lions and tigers have co-existed together.

Gir happens to be the only wild life sanctuary in India with lions in it. While one understands the attachment of the Gujraties to the lions yet when their very survival is at stake emotions should be put aside and a calm decision should be made as to where they would really be protected be it in their original homes or next to their remote cousins, in Madhya Pradesh, the tigers.