AHMEDABAD: Eight Asiatic lion cubs have died in Gujarat’s Gir National Park amid fears of a suspected Babesia virus outbreak, raising concerns among forest authorities and wildlife experts.
Officials suspect the deaths may be linked to the tick-borne infection, while several other lions showing symptoms have been isolated as the Forest Department works to prevent any possible spread of the disease.
The deaths reported from the Gir East and Gir West regions have sparked serious concern among wildlife officials, veterinarians and conservationists alike.
Even as the Forest Department officially maintains that eight lions have died so far, the sudden appearance of alarming symptoms among several other lions has intensified suspicions of a dangerous infectious outbreak, with diseases like Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) and Babesia infection emerging at the centre of the investigation.
As anxiety mounted inside the forest administration, senior officers rushed to the Gir region to personally monitor the crisis. Gandhinagar PCCF Bhavani Pati, CF Ram Ratan Nala and multiple emergency response teams conducted inspections at animal care centres, including the sensitive Jasadhar facility, while medical surveillance across the lion habitat was intensified.
The Gujarat government has now ordered a full-scale investigation into the mysterious deaths, turning the Gir forest into a high-alert wildlife health zone.
Forest staff across sensitive ranges, especially Babariya, Jamwala and Jasadhar, have been placed on emergency footing as authorities attempt to stop the suspected infection before it spreads further into the lion population.
Providing details about the situation, Gujarat Forest and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia said that the deaths are currently suspected to be linked to the Babesia virus, a disease spread by blood-sucking ticks and insects.
“So far, eight lion cubs have died due to suspected Babesia virus. No new deaths due to suspected Babesia virus have been reported in the last two days,” the minister said.
However, the government has also clarified that the exact cause of death will only be confirmed after laboratory reports arrive from the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre.
“It will become clear only after the reports come whether the lion cubs died due to Babesia virus or some other reason,” Modhwadia stated, while adding that some lion deaths may also have occurred due to territorial conflict, old age or other natural causes.
At the same time, the administration has launched aggressive preventive measures inside Gir. The Forest Department has started large-scale anti-tick and insect-control treatment to eliminate the vectors believed to be spreading the infection. Officials said field teams are continuously monitoring lion movement and health conditions across affected zones.
“The situation is currently under control. No new incident has been reported in the last two days, so there appears to be no immediate possibility of large-scale spread,” the minister added, attempting to calm rising concerns.
Meanwhile, PCCF Bhavani Pati, who is personally camping in Gir to supervise the operation, said the department has activated all emergency systems and intensified monitoring at animal care centres.
“I am in Gir and have met all the staff of the Animal Care Centre. They are working continuously. No new lion deaths have occurred recently. The last two cub deaths were reported on the 27th,” he told local media.
According to officials, a total of 22 lions have now been kept in isolation as a precautionary measure, underlining the seriousness of the suspected outbreak. Samples from affected lions have already been sent to laboratories, and the final medical reports are expected within the next three to four days.
As fear spread across the Gir ecosystem, the Sasan Forest Department activated emergency preparedness systems at the renowned Sasan Lion Hospital. The hospital has reportedly completed all arrangements to handle any sudden inflow of infected lions.
Forest officials said that while no severely affected lion has yet been shifted to the hospital, isolation wards, treatment facilities and rapid-response veterinary systems have been fully prepared in case more cases emerge. The hospital’s treatment ward has also been placed under 24-hour CCTV surveillance to ensure continuous monitoring of every rescued or isolated animal.
The developments have once again revived painful memories of previous disease scares among Gir lions, especially after CDV outbreaks had earlier raised questions about the vulnerability of the world’s only Asiatic lion population concentrated in a single geographical region.
Now, as laboratory reports are awaited and surveillance intensifies deep inside Gir, every passing day is becoming crucial for wildlife authorities fighting to protect one of India’s most iconic species from a potentially devastating biological threat.
