Gujarat: With two more lion found dead at Gujarat’s Gir forest, increasing the death toll to 23 in three weeks, the Gujarat government on Wednesday confirmed the presence of deadly canine distemper virus (CDV) in four of them.
The unusual series of lion deaths has forced the concerning authorities including Supreme Court, Gujarat government and Gujarat Forest Department to undertake a massive survey in order to identify and treat sick lions.
The Supreme Court said that issue was “extremely serious”, and asked the Gujarat government and the Centre to find out the reason for the deaths and detail what preventive measures they plan to take.
Meanwhile, State forest department officials said that they have sought the help from international experts to mitigate the situation and that dozes of CDV vaccines imported from USA were likely to be delivered in a day.
“The samples of four dead lions tested by a Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) laboratory have returned positive for canine distemper virus,” Forest Minister Ganpat Vasava told reporters in Gandhinagar.
Also read: Gujarat: 11 Asiatic lions found dead in Gir forest; doctors reveal cause of sudden death
As quoted by The Indian Express, officials said that the samples tested by NIV had been drawn from four of the 11 Asiatic lions that died between September 12 and September 19. Additional Chief Secretary (Forest & Environment) Rajiv Gupta said that samples of other seven dead lions had revealed presence of Babesia protozoal infection. “The CDV did not cause deaths of these lions. But this virus affects immune system of animals. Lions having contracted CDV can also get infected by Babesia protozoa. Attack of viral and protozoal infection can cause death. Of the 11 dead lions, CDV has been detected in four and Babesia protozoa in seven,” said Gupta.
Gir forest and other protected areas in Gujarat are the only natural habitat of Asiatic lions in the world. The 2015 census had estimated population of Asiatic lions in Gir and other protected areas to be 523.
