India buoyed by jump in rare Asiatic lion numbers

The population of rare Asiatic lions in India has jumped by nearly a third in the past five years to almost 700, an official survey said, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailing the increase as an "excellent feat".

Asiatic lions -- slightly smaller than their African cousins and with a fold of skin along their bellies -- are only found in the wild in the Gir sanctuary in western Gujarat, Modi's home state.