The captive lions and tigers at <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbais-sgnp-wildlife-to-get-radio-collars-as-tbms-tunnel-beneath-park-23645799" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP)</a> could soon get new companions from zoos outside Maharashtra, as authorities move to tackle a growing inbreeding concern within the safari population.
With several animals closely related to one another, breeding options have become limited, prompting the park authorities to scout zoos and rescue facilities for unrelated males to strengthen the gene pool.
The move is aimed at increasing the captive population while ensuring that breeding does not take place between animals that are closely related.
In January 2025, a male Asiatic lion named Bharat was brought to SGNP from Sakkarbaug Zoo in Junagadh. However, after falling ill, Bharat was shifted to Gorewada Zoo in Nagpur in May. After losing his health battle in August SGNP was left with only one male lion, Manas.
Manas is the father of three cubs born to lioness Bharati and one offspring born to lioness Manasi. The three offspring of Bharati are female and, being Manas&rsquo;s daughters, cannot be bred with him. Authorities are therefore looking for an unrelated male to prevent inbreeding and maintain genetic diversity.
<h2>Zoos approached for males</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/lion-breeding-cubs_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
The newborn cubs. Pics/Special Arrangement
Speaking to Sunday mid-day, SGNP Deputy Director (South) Kiran Patil said the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-mayor-ritu-tawde-writes-to-gujarat-cm-to-bring-two-pairs-of-asiatic-lions-at-byculla-zoo-in-mumbai-23619445" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">park has approached several zoos for an unrelated male lion</a>.
&ldquo;We have sent requests to two-three zoos, including Sakkarbaug Zoo in Junagadh, as well as facilities in Assam and Mizoram, seeking a male lion. We have also proposed exchanging a female lion for a male at Sakkarbaug Zoo,&rdquo; Patil said.
The concern extends to the tiger enclosure as well. SGNP currently has an adult male tiger, Bajirao, who is the father of cubs born to tigress Srivalli. Some of the offspring are male and, as they are closely related to the existing females, breeding between them will not be permitted.
The authorities are now pursuing approval to bring in an unrelated male tiger from Gorewada. &ldquo;For the tigers, we are in the process of bringing a male from Gorewada. Reminders have been sent to expedite the approval,&rdquo; Patil said.
However, space constraints mean that a female tiger will first have to be shifted before the new male can be introduced.
<h2>No sibling breeding</h2>
Patil said the park would not allow breeding between sibling and closely related animals. &ldquo;For the lion, we are only waiting for approval as we already have space. Until then, we will not allow inbreeding. Simba, who has now matured into an adult female, will also not be bred until we get a new male,&rdquo; he said.
The <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/soon-you-can-experience-african-safari-at-nagpurs-gorewada-zoological-park-23582737" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">captive lion safari</a> was started at SGNP in 1975-76 and has remained a major tourist attraction and revenue generator. The earlier captive lion population included Asiatic and African lions rescued from circuses. The Central Zoo Authority subsequently directed that Asiatic and African lions should not be allowed to breed with each other, further limiting population growth.
The tiger safari was introduced later and, along with the lion safari, allows visitors to see the animals from mini-buses inside fenced enclosures.
<h2>What is inbreeding?</h2>
Inbreeding is breeding between closely related animals, such as a father and daughter, mother and son, or brother and sister. It can reduce reproductive fitness and increase the risk of inherited genetic problems, while potentially affecting the health, growth and survival of offspring. For captive populations, introducing unrelated animals is therefore important to maintain genetic diversity and a healthy breeding population.
Advocate Pawan Sharma, Honorary Wildlife Warden of Mumbai and Founder &amp; President, RAWW (Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare) said, &ldquo;While it is an established ecological reality that the global population of Asiatic lions has emerged from a highly restricted, single-source genetic bottleneck in Gujarat, preventing immediate and localised inbreeding within captive populations remains non-negotiable. In a closed captive facility, allowing breeding between closely related individuals can significantly increase the risk of hereditary vulnerabilities being passed on and amplified across successive generations. Such breeding can potentially weaken genetic diversity and affect the overall health, reproductive fitness and resilience of the captive population.&rdquo;
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/lion-breeding-cubs-vets_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
Vets check health of cubs. Pic/Special Arrangement
Sharma told Sunday mid-day that against this backdrop, the SGNP administration&rsquo;s decision to undertake strategic animal exchanges might be a tough one but is a vital and necessary countermeasure.
&ldquo;Bringing in animals representing distinct lineages from outside Maharashtra, even though these lineages may be historically related to the existing <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-byculla-zoo-to-welcome-two-pairs-of-asiatic-lions-by-year-end-23640330" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Asiatic lion population</a>, can help reduce the risks associated with immediate close-relative breeding. Such planned exchanges can help maintain greater genetic diversity within the captive population, reduce the possibility of genetic deterioration, and potentially contribute to better reproductive outcomes and lower cub mortality. It can also strengthen the overall physiological resilience and long-term health of these captive apex predators,&rdquo; added Sharma
According to Sharma, from a conservation perspective, this is not merely an administrative intervention but a pragmatic and essential step towards responsible ex-situ conservation.&rdquo; Strategic genetic management is critical to ensuring that captive populations remain healthy, viable and capable of being maintained over the long term,&rdquo; he added.

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