2 more Gir lions die, pride under threat

AHMEDABAD: Two more Gir lions died on Monday, taking the death toll in the deadly outbreak of canine distemper virus (CDV) and tick-borne babesiosis in Amreli district to 23. The infection has nearly wiped out an entire 26-member pride in just 20 days. The three lions that survive too are battling for life.


“Two more lions of the pride of 26 died on Monday. Of the report of 21 deaths, four lions were confirmed to have died of CDV while 17 succumbed to babesiosis protozoa infection carried by ticks found on most cattle and canines in the wild,” said Rajiv Gupta, additional chief secretary, forest and environment.


Even as the tragedy unfolds, it has come to light that Gujarat’s forest department was forewarned twice since 2011 about the presence of CDV in Gir lions.

The first warning came in September 2011, when the Centre for Animal Disease Research and Diagnosis (CADRAD), Bangalore, and Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Uttarakhand, analysed tissues from a 2007 Gir lion carcass and found presence of highly contagious peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV).

Lion experts say the state government must not delay the translocation of lions to Madhya Pradesh now.