“Based on the information currently available, the reported number of deaths is not likely to have a significant impact on the overall lion population,” he added.
It is known that canine distemper and babesiosis act in tandem and this leads to high and rapid deaths of the infected lions,” he said.
In 2018, 11 lions died due to the Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) disease.
According to the latest census conducted in 2025, Gujarat is home to 891 Asiatic lions spread across Gir Somnath and its adjoining 11 districts.
Chief Wildlife Warden and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Jaipal Singh told Down To Earth that no deaths or new infections have been reported among the population since May 28.
Stotra Chakrabarti, professor of animal behavior, Macalester College and graduate faculty University of Minnesota working on Asiatic and African lions for over a decade said while these losses are concerning, it is important to place them in context. “Most of the reported fatalities appear to be cubs, and our long-term data show that lion cubs under one year of age typically have a survival rate of around 50 per cent," he said.
“Based on the information currently available, the reported number of deaths is not likely to have a significant impact on the overall lion population,” he added.
Chakrabarti added that the area where the current cases have been reported has a high degree of interaction between lions and domestic livestock, making this a plausible route of transmission if babesiosis is ultimately confirmed.
Ravi Chellam, CEO, Metastring Foundation and Coordinator, Biodiversity Collaborative said since this is a vector-borne and non-infectious disease (carried by ticks, with the infection passed on only when the tick carries the parasitic bites to other animals), the chances of it spreading like an infectious disease is much lesser.
“Having said that, since lions are social cats and interact a lot, it is quite possible for ticks from one lion to move onto others, thereby helping spread the parasite. It is known that canine distemper and babesiosis act in tandem and this leads to high and rapid deaths of the infected lions,” he said.
In 2018, 11 lions died due to the Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) disease.
Chakrabarti said babesiosis is frequently discussed alongside CDV because of the well-known 1994 outbreak in the Serengeti, during which the combination of the two diseases contributed to the deaths of nearly one-third of the lion population.
“In that case, lions weakened by babesiosis—associated with heavy tick infestations linked to buffalo—became more vulnerable to CDV, a viral disease that affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems. The interaction between the two pathogens significantly increased mortality,” he added.
According to the latest census conducted in 2025, Gujarat is home to 891 Asiatic lions spread across Gir Somnath and its adjoining 11 districts.
Chief Wildlife Warden and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Jaipal Singh told Down To Earth that no deaths or new infections have been reported among the population since May 28.
“The infection is common among the population and had occurred in 2025 as well when around 10-11 lions died,” he said adding that every year during this time, the temperatures are extreme and are accompanied by humidity.
