Concern has gripped Gujarat’s Gir National Park after the deaths of nine Asiatic lions within a short span triggered fears of a possible infectious outbreak in the region. Forest authorities have now shifted into emergency response mode, with three more lions reported to be in critical condition. The latest death pushed the total toll to nine, prompting the Gujarat government to deploy senior forest officials, veterinary experts, and rapid response teams to the affected zones in Gir Somnath and Amreli districts.
The three sick lions have been shifted to the Jasadhar Animal Care Centre, where a team led by senior forest and veterinary officials is continuously monitoring their condition.
Following a high-level review meeting chaired by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, forest authorities intensified surveillance operations across the region. Senior officials, including PCCF Bhawani Pati, CCF Ram Ratan Nala and veterinary specialists, are currently camping at the treatment facility.
According to officials, screening, tracking, and health monitoring of lions in the surrounding forest areas have already begun.
Samples collected from the dead lions have been sent to the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre in Gandhinagar for detailed examination. Officials said the exact cause of death will become clear only after laboratory reports are received.
However, based on preliminary symptoms, authorities suspect a possible Babesia infection, a disease spread through ticks. Large-scale de-ticking operations are now being carried out both inside the Gir sanctuary and nearby peripheral areas.
“As a precaution, lions within nearly a 10-kilometre area have been placed under isolation so that any possible virus or infection does not spread to other regions,” officials said.
Veterinary doctors from Junagadh Veterinary College, frontline forest staff and senior officers are jointly involved in rescue, treatment and monitoring operations.
“Gir is not just a forest, it is the last major home of Asiatic lions,” Minister Arjun Modhwadia said while reviewing the situation.
Sudhanshu Mishra is a Senior Copy Editor at Times Now. While his day-to-day work centres on news, his writing interests lie in the intersections of cu...View More
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