Asiatic Lion Information Centre

The Asiatic lion news archive - 2000

Stories relating to the Asiatic lion and updates on the captive breeding programme from 2000.

DATELINE : July 23rd 2000
Mystery illness in Gir, 3 lions die in 2 weeks

RAJKOT, JULY 23: A mysterious infection is killing lions in the Gir sanctuary -- home of the last surviving species of the Asiatic Lion. Three big cats have died in the past 15 days, raising fears of a fatal infection spreading in the protected area. Worse, the infection has not been identified yet. All three post-mortem reports mention unidentified causes, without quoting the exact cause and possible source.

The first lion had died in Khamba in Dhari range about 15 days ago. The Forest Department had initially tried to pass it off as a death due to rabies which is extremely rare among big cats, and impossible in the Gir where there are no wild dogs. Another lion died of similar symptoms about 10 days ago in Dhari. On Saturday, a sub-adult male died under similar circumstances in Kamba village in Visavadar.

The Forest Department, however, refuses to link these three deaths although they occurred within a 100-km range. Sasan-Gir Wild Life Deputy Conservator of Forest B.P. Pati is unsure what caused the deaths. "The post-mortem report from Anand gave a negative report on rabies but the cause has not been identified. The other two lions have also died of unknown reasons. It could be due brain haemorrage after being hit by a vehicle because blood had oozed out from the lion that died on Saturday,'' he told The Indian Express.

While viscera reports of the lions are still awaited, some forest officers are trying to pass them off as natural deaths. "It is possible they got separated from their prides, could not hunt, and died of hunger," said one officer.

Wildlife Conservator Kuldeep Goyal says there is nothing to be alarmed about and there is no infection. ``There is no evidence that the lions have died of any infection. They may have died of natural causes, snake bites... anything but not an infection,'' Goyal said.

However, the Department's actions suggest what they are saying is far from the truth. Animal husbandry teams, summoned urgently, have spread into the 'nessess', or human settlements of the Maldharis, inside the Gir to investigate if domestic livestock have caught any infection, preying on which might spread the infection in the lions. A large number of cattle which foray into the forest have been vaccinated against infections. Half-eaten carcasses are being cleared away and the place disinfected so that lions don't eat them.