Overview
- Officials reported over the last week that seven lions, including four cubs, have died in the Gir landscape and that 17 animals have been moved into isolation for close veterinary care.
- State forest minister Arjun Modhwadia and forest department briefings said two cub deaths are suspected to be caused by Babesia, a tick‑borne parasite that destroys red blood cells, while other fatalities have been linked to natural causes or infighting.
- Samples from carcasses have been collected and sent to laboratories and authorities say final diagnostic results are pending with confirmations expected in coming days.
- Gujarat has launched an intensive response that includes specialist vets from Junagadh Veterinary College, daily health monitoring within a 10‑km radius of affected sites, and mass de‑ticking and preventive treatment for more than 350 lions.
- The operations recall the 2018 crisis when canine distemper and protozoal infections killed multiple lions and underline the risk posed by concentrating the entire wild Asiatic lion population in one landscape.