Four lion cubs have died in different areas of Gujarat’s Gir forest region amid a suspected infection scare, while 17 big cats have been isolated as a precaution, officials said.
Chief minister Bhupendra Patel chaired a high-level review meeting on the situation in Gandhinagar on Wednesday.
An official release said, citing Principal Secretary (Forest and Environment) Vinod Rao, that “Four lion cubs have died in different areas of the Gir forest region, and 17 (adult) lions are being isolated and taken care of,” as shared with the chief minister during the meeting.
Rao further informed that intensive monitoring is underway in areas within a 10 km radius of Gir Gadhada and Babaria, with no other symptoms of disease detected so far.
“All the lions in the Mahsuli area of Amreli and Bhavnagar districts are also being monitored intensively by the Forest Department, and daily reports are being received.”
He added that preventive health measures have been stepped up across the region.
“As part of the safety measures against such seasonal diseases seen at the beginning of summer, the de-ticking and other health measures are being taken for more than 350 lions in the Gir area,” the release stated.
Specialist veterinarians from Junagadh Veterinary College have also been deployed to assist in the ongoing operation, according to Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Jaipal Singh.
On Tuesday, Forest Minister Arjun Modhwadia said two lion cubs had died due to suspected Babesia virus infection, while three other big cats died in separate incidents due to natural causes and infighting.
However, he ruled out the possibility of any major epidemic or widespread outbreak in Gir forest, the last natural habitat of the Asiatic lion.
Babesia infection is a tick-borne disease that can cause weakness, coughing, and nasal discharge in affected animals.
Earlier in 2018, 11 lions had died in Gujarat within a month due to a combination of canine distemper virus and protozoal infection.
According to the 2025 census, Gujarat is home to 891 Asiatic lions.
