As many as 21 lions have died in Gujarat’s Gir forest between September 12-30, said media reports quoting the state forest department.

The state government said that some deaths were due to a virus attack. Officials said they are yet to identify the type of virus responsible for the deaths of some big cats in Gir, the only habitat of Asiatic lions in the world.

According to the state forest department, 11 lions died between September 12 to 19 in Gir’s Dalkhania and Jasadhar range. Out those 11 deaths, carcass of seven lions were found in the forest areas while four lions died during treatment.

Then, between September 20 to 30, 10 more lions which were rescued from Dalkhania range have died during the treatment, taking the toll to 21, making it the worst tragedy in Gir forest.

“Post mortem report of 11 lions died during September 12 to 19, indicated infighting, injuries due to infighting, respiratory and hepatic failure as major causes for deaths,” a statement issued by the forest department said.

According to officials, virus presence was found in at least four lions while six big cats were found to be infected with protozoa infection, spread by ticks, News 18 reported. The seven lions whose death is reported were captured from the Dalkhania Range of Gir forest between September 20 and 30 and were kept at a rescue centre where they were being treated.

The Forest department had launched the screening operation Dalkhania range to identify sick lions following the death of 11 big cats in Dalkhania and nearby Jashadhar range between September 12 and 19.

Officers said laboratories were conducting tests to ascertain the nature of viral infection detected among four dead lions and that 31 lions from Semardi area in Gir (east) forest division had been rescued and kept under observation as a precautionary measure.

In an official release, chief conservator of forests (CCF) of Junagadh wildlife circle, Dushyant Vasavada said that after deaths of 11 lions between September 12 and September 19, 10 more lions died between September 20 and September 30. All the 21 deaths within 19 days were reported from Sarasiya Vidi area of Dalkhaniya range in Gir (east) forest division in Amreli district.

“These 10 lions were among the group which had been rescued from Sarasiya Vidi after the initial deaths came to light from that area. They died while being given medical treatment at Jasadhar Rescue Centre,” Vasavada told The Indian Express.

The CCF added six more lions rescued from Sarasiya Vidi were under observation at the Jasadhar Rescue Centre in Gir (east) division. “Blood samples of injured and rescued lions and samples of tissues of dead lions have been sent to National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. Reports received from the NIV have confirmed viral infection among four lions. But there are doubts about the identity of the virus and laboratories are further working on it. On the other hand, veterinary college, Junagadh has detected presence of protozoa caused by ticks in samples of six other lions. These infections have come to light from Sarasiya area only,” the CCF further said.

Reports quoting forest officers said that 31 lions from Semardi forest area adjoining the Sarasiya Vidi had been rescued and shifted to Jamwala Rescue Centre for keeping them under observation. “This is just a precautionary measure. They have been isolated and put under observation and to insulate them from [the] disease. We concede that 21 deaths have been recorded. But all of them have come from the small area of Sarasiya Vidi. Just to ensure that the infection, if there is any, is contained in that area, we have rescued lions from surrounding areas and put them under observation. As of now, they are all healthy,” Vasavada added.

He added that primary reports had suggested that the 11 lions which died between September 12 to September 19 had died due during fighting among lions to gain control of a territory, injuries sustained during such fights, as well as hepatic and respiratory failures etc.

After the initial 11 deaths, the forest department had formed 140 teams comprising 550 foresters, guards and lion trackers to screen each and every lion ranging around 3000 square kilometre of area, including Gir forest. The scanning exercise which had begun on September 23 was over, the CCF said. “The teams spotted around 600 lions. Out of them, only nine were found to be sick. Four of them had been given treatment on the spot while five were shifted to rescue centres for medical treatment. From no other part of the entire lion landscape has any trouble been reported,” added Vasavada.

As an emergency measure, the government is also importing certain vaccine from USA so that precautionary measure could be taken immediately.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a global authority on the status of the natural world has classified Asiatic lions as an endangered species.

Around 100 lions die annually, with the death rate peaking during monsoon. On an average, 31 to 32 lions in Gir die during the three months of monsoon every year, the Forest Department said.

According to the last census of Asiatic lions in 2015, Gir is home to 523 lions, including 109 male, 201 female, 73 sub-adults and 140 cubs. An internal survey by state forest department claimed this had risen to 650 in 2017.

Gir forest and other protected areas spread across Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Amreli and Bhavnagar districts in Saurasthra region of Gujarat are the only natural home of Asiatic lions (Panthera Leo Persica), the only wild population of lion species in the world besides Africa.