Ahmedabad, April 25: Gujarat’s wildlife board will file a review petition challenging the Supreme court order to have some Gir lions shifted to Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno sanctuary.

The board met in Gandhinagar today under the chairmanship of chief minister Narendra Modi and unanimously decided to file the petition, state forest minister Ganpat Vasava said. He said the plea was likely to be moved before May 14.

On April 15, the apex court had ruled that some Asiatic lions from Gir, now their lone habitat in India, should be moved to Kuno from time to time as an insurance against an epidemic wiping them out forever. It said that being split between two habitats would improve the lions’ gene pool.

Sources said Gujarat would argue that the Gir lions are healthy and have no genetic disorders at present. The court order had sparked a bandh last week by people in Sasan adjoining Gir.