Gujarat CM reviews big cat deaths in Gir region, 17 lions isolated as monitoring intensified

Gandhinagar, May 27 (IANS) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Wednesday convened a high-level meeting in Gandhinagar to review the recent deaths of lion cubs in the Gir region and to assess the preventive and healthcare measures being undertaken by the Forest Department to protect Asiatic lions.

During the meeting, Principal Secretary, Forest and Environment, Vinod Rao, informed the Chief Minister that four lion cubs had been found dead at different locations in the Gir region.

“Around 17 lions from the affected areas had been isolated as a precautionary measure and were being closely monitored and cared for by forest officials and veterinary teams,” he said.

Dr. Rao informed the meeting that intensive monitoring of all lions within a 10-km radius of the Gir Gadhada and Babariya areas was underway and that no symptoms of any other disease had so far been detected among the monitored animals.

Officials also informed the Chief Minister that the Forest Department was conducting extensive surveillance of lions in the revenue areas of Amreli and Bhavnagar districts, with daily health reports compiled and reviewed.

“As part of seasonal preventive healthcare measures commonly undertaken during the onset of summer, de-ticking operations and other medical interventions have been initiated for more than 350 lions in the Gir region,” officials said during the meeting.

Head of Forest Force and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Jaipal Singh noted that expert veterinarians from Junagadh Veterinary College had joined the ongoing operation to strengthen monitoring and treatment efforts.

The review meeting followed recent concerns over lion deaths in the Gir landscape, the only natural habitat of Asiatic lions in the world.

On Tuesday, state Forest Minister Arjun Modhwadia said that two lion deaths were suspected to be linked to Babesia infection, a tick-borne parasitic disease transmitted by ticks during the summer season, while other deaths were attributed to infighting and natural causes.

Forest officials have since intensified health surveillance in Gir East and Gir West forest divisions and deployed multiple veterinary teams for field monitoring and treatment.

Authorities have stated that there is no indication of a widespread disease outbreak among the lion population.

The Gir landscape, spread across Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Amreli, and Bhavnagar districts, is home to the world’s only wild population of Asiatic lions.

According to the state government’s latest lion estimation released in 2025, Gujarat’s Asiatic lion population has risen to 891 animals.

–IANS

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