Gujarat Steps Up Health Checks on Asiatic Lions After Cub Deaths; No Babesia Symptoms Found in Bhavnagar Yet
मुख्य बातें
- •Gujarat forest authorities in Bhavnagar have launched deworming, de-ticking, and health monitoring of Asiatic lions following the suspected Babesia-related deaths of eight lion cubs in Amreli and Gir Somnath districts.
- •No Babesia symptoms have been detected among lions in Bhavnagar, where 50 lions were sighted and examined; 19 have already received preventive care, with the rest to be covered within 10 days.
- •Forest Minister Arjun Modhwadia confirmed that lions within a 10-km radius of affected areas have been isolated and 17 lions remain under observation in the Gir landscape.
- •Daily patrols and health monitoring have been intensified, with veterinary teams on standby to respond to any abnormalities in lion behavior or health.
- •Gujarat’s lion population is now spread across 35,000 sq km in multiple districts, with the current count at 891 as per official estimates.
AHMEDABAD, June 2 — In response to the recent deaths of eight Asiatic lion cubs in Gujarat’s Amreli and Gir Somnath districts, forest authorities in Bhavnagar have initiated an intensive health monitoring program for the big cats. This includes deworming, de-ticking, and increased field surveillance. Speaking on Monday, Deputy Conservator of Forests (Bhavnagar) Yogesh Desai confirmed that no symptoms of the suspected tick-borne disease Babesia have been detected among lions in Bhavnagar district so far.
