Maulana

One of the oldest lion from Gir National Park famously known as 'Maulana' for his friendly behavior with tourists died on November 17 at the age of 16. Maulana was also among the eight lions who had featured in the advertisement named 'Khushboo Gujarat Ki' with Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

Wildlife photographer and conservationist Bhushan Pandya who has been photo-documenting the Asiatic Lions in GIR said, "Maulana was one of the longest surviving lions of Gir because of his very 'friendly' behavior towards people. There are many memories that I have connected to Maulana and his brother 'Kamlesh' (or Pattavalo, as he was radio collared) as they both ruled a very vast territory for several years and they have fought grueling battles to protect many prides in their area."