Tests rule out canine distemper, Babesia in recent Gir lion deaths: Gujarat min

LAboratory tests feature ruled come out canine tooth distemper computer virus (CDV) and Babesia as the do of recent lion deaths in Gujarat’s Gir landscape, state forest minister Arjun Modhwadia said on Friday, adding that the government will not deploy the available CDV vaccine in free-ranging lions at this stage.“The test results have come negative for both Babesia and CDV. There is nothing to worry on that front,” Modhwadia told HT.The clarification comes after eight lions, including six cubs, died between May 22 and May 27, triggering concerns over a possible disease outbreak. Officials said the deaths were linked to seasonal stress, dehydration, natural causes and isolated incidents, with no evidence so far of a 2018-like outbreak involving CDV or Babesia.“Right now the season is adverse. Cubs depend entirely on the mother for hydration, and when water intake is insufficient, it leads to weakness and dehydration, which affects immunity. Also, the mortality among lion cubs is higher than 50%,” Modhwadia said, adding that some deaths could also be due to old age and other natural causes.One of the lions died due to miscarriage and another due to injuries sustained in infighting, a forest official said, adding that the remaining cases were linked to seasonal stress and natural causes.Modhwadia said there is no recommendation from experts at present to vaccinate free-ranging lions. “We do have the vaccine, but we are not going to use it. Our veterinary doctors in the field have also, for now, recommended against administering it to free-ranging lions,” he said.“The tests were conducted on samples collected from all the dead lions and sent to the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), a state-run laboratory under the Gujarat government based in Gandhinagar, following initial suspicion of Babesia infection,” he added.According to state government officials, forest and veterinary teams are carrying out round-the-clock monitoring, with measures such as deticking operations and isolation of lions within a 10-km radius of the affected area.Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Jaipal Singh said that 12 of the 17 lions quarantined as a precautionary measure have been released back into the wild after recovery, while the remaining are in good health and are being monitored for a longer period as a precaution.The recent deaths had initially raised concern over a possible Babesia link. Earlier, on May 26, the minister had said two cubs were suspected to have died due to Babesia infection.The vaccine issue has remained under discussion since the 2018 outbreak in the Gir landscape, when CDV and Babesia led to the death of 24 lions within a month. Following that episode, the forest department imported a ferret distemper vaccine for emergency use. Subsequently, the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre started developing an indigenous CDV vaccine in collaboration with Hester Biosciences.Gujarat’s Asiatic lion population, found only in the wild in the state, stood at 891 as per the 2025 count. Officials said no clustering of deaths similar to 2018 has been observed this time.