Overview
- State officials said on Friday that eight lion cubs have died in the Gir landscape and that preliminary signs point to Babesia, a tick‑borne parasite that attacks red blood cells.
- Samples from the dead cubs have been sent to the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre for confirmatory testing and results are expected within three to four days.
- Forest teams have isolated lions within roughly a 10‑kilometre radius of affected sites, placed 17 animals under observation and launched large‑scale de‑ticking and vaccination drives.
- Veterinary specialists from Junagadh Veterinary College and senior forest officers have been deployed to treat suspected cases, conduct round‑the‑clock surveillance and strengthen rescue readiness.
- The outbreak is especially concerning because Gir is the only natural home of Asiatic lions and held about 891 animals in 2025, so a contagious disease could pose outsized risks to the species and its local communities.