No proposal to 'dislodge' tiger and make lion national animal

Neha Shukla,TNN | Jul 8, 2015, 04.05 PM IST

LUCKNOW: Reacting to an RTI query from Lucknow's 'RTI girl' Aishwarya Parashar, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India has said that it has no proposal to make lion the national animal.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/No-proposal-to-dislodge-tiger-and-make-lion-national-animal/articleshow/47987807.cms

There were reports that the central government was deliberating on making lion the national animal instead of tiger. To know the truth, Aishwarya asked for records of government proceedings on changing the national animal on May 4.

On June 17, the union ministry said it has no proposal in this regard.

In April, it was reported that the Modi government is considering a proposal to make lion India's national animal instead of tiger which has been the one since 1972. Wildlife activists had raised concern that it would dilute the campaign to protect tigers.

The reports said that it was Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand Parimal Nathwani, an industrialist, who sent the proposal to the environment ministry. The proposal was then passed on to the National Board of Wild Life (NBWL) for consideration.