The Asiatic lion news archive - 2000

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

DATELINE : July 24th 2000
Gir lions die in 2 months

AHMEDABAD: Five Asiatic lions have died in less than two months in the Gir forest reserve. The state forest department, while explaining the reasons for the abnormally high number, has attributed two deaths to 'natural' causes, one to electrocution and one to 'abnormal behaviour'.

The cause of the latest death -- a two-year-old male died at Khambha village in Visavadar taluka on Saturday -- is yet to be ascertained.  Samples, including viscera and liver, were sent to the forensic science laboratory at Junagadh and to the Veterinary College, Anand, after post-mortem. Though the death of this lion has been put down to 'natural' causes, a forest official believed that the death of this lion cannot be termed so.

The death of one lion near Nanudi village in Khambha taluka of Amreli district last week has been attributed to "abnormal behaviour". It was reported that "a uncoordinated limb function and movement" preceded the death. Although similar claims have been made about the previous two deaths, which includes one female, they have been refuted by officials.

As reports are awaited, forest officials are keeping quiet about the possible causes of death. If required, the samples will be sent for further investigations to the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology at Hyderabad.

When asked about the possibility of rabies taking the toll, deputy conservator of forest Gir (west) Mahesh Singh ruled it out. "Rabies is a disease generally seen in canines and not felines. Lions are from the cat family. Besides, there are no wild dogs inside the forest," he said.

A wildlife expert opined that similar symptoms are seen when lions suffer from meningitis.  Local staffers of the Gir (east) range, where the death occurred, confirmed that a thorough beat-wise checking of lion behaviour was carried out to find other cases, but all seemed to be normal. They stressed that cattle going inside the forest area is vaccinated and hence there are not many chances of the lions contracting diseases from them.

As per the latest estimates there are 330 lions in Gir, 24 up from the 306 counted in the last lion census in 1996. The 2000 census which was scheduled in May, was discontinued after rains.

Gir is the abode of not only lions but nearly 300 leopards, about 50,000 peafowls, 35,000 spotted deer, 3,000 sambars, 2,500 blue-bulls, 2,000 chinkaras and a small population of four-horned antelopes.  Wildlife experts have been stressing over the need to shift a few lions elsewhere to improve the quality of their gene pool and save them in case of a possible disease outbreak. However lack of political will has seen the lions confined to Gir.

Meanwhile, Veraval first class executive magistrate turned down the bail application and sent on remand Pyar Ali Kasambhai and two others of Bhhalchhel village (near Sasan) in Talala taluka, after a lion was electrocuted by the fence around his field. Pyar Ali had connected electric wires to his fencing, to protect crop from cattle, a common practice in the Gir villages to save crops.