Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel held a high-level meeting in Gandhinagar to address the recent deaths of lion cubs in the Gir region. Principal Secretary Vinod Rao reported that four lion cubs were found dead at various locations in Gir. Precautionary measures were taken, isolating 17 lions from affected areas for close monitoring and care by forest officials and veterinary teams.
Intensive monitoring within a 10-km radius of Gir Gadhada and Babariya areas is ongoing, with no signs of other diseases detected among the monitored lions. The Forest Department is conducting extensive surveillance in Amreli and Bhavnagar districts, compiling and reviewing daily health reports. Seasonal preventive healthcare measures, including de-ticking operations and medical interventions, have been initiated for over 350 lions in Gir.
Jaipal Singh, Head of Forest Force, mentioned that expert veterinarians from Junagadh Veterinary College have joined efforts to enhance monitoring and treatment. Recent concerns over lion deaths in the Gir landscape, the sole natural habitat of Asiatic lions globally, prompted this review meeting. Forest Minister Arjun Modhwadia linked two lion deaths to Babesia infection, a tick-borne parasitic disease, while other deaths were attributed to infighting and natural causes.
Forest officials have increased health surveillance in Gir East and Gir West forest divisions, deploying multiple veterinary teams for field monitoring and treatment. Authorities clarified that there is no evidence of a widespread disease outbreak among the lion population. The Gir landscape, spanning Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Amreli, and Bhavnagar districts, hosts the world’s only wild Asiatic lion population. As per the state government’s 2025 lion estimation, Gujarat’s Asiatic lion count has reached 891 animals.
