As 11 Gir lions fall to Babesiosis, Canine Distemper Virus, a 2018 horror is recalled
Key points
- Eleven Asiatic Lionsâseveral of them cubsâhave died in Gujaratâs Gir landscape over the past 10 days, with the state government now attributing the fatalities largely to a combination of Babesiosis and Canine Distemper Virus (CDV), a pathogen that had caused widespread lion deaths in 2018 as well.
- Seventeen lions have been isolated over a 10 km radius.
- The deaths, clustered in Amreli district, have revived anxieties about disease vulnerability of the Asiatic Lion in Gir, the last natural abode of the species.
- Read Full Story Earlier, amidst conflicting accounts of the death toll, state forest and environment minister Arjun Modhwadia had said that only two deaths were suspected to be linked to Babesiosis, a tick-borne parasitic disease, and the rest to infighting or other reasons.
- Modhwadia had said medical teams were monitoring lions and that such cases were typical of the first four or five months of the year.
Quick Summary
Eleven Asiatic Lionsâseveral of them cubsâhave died in Gujaratâs Gir landscape over the past 10 days, with the state government now attributing the fatalities largely
Why It Matters
This development is important because it may impact public opinion, policy decisions, and future developments related to As 11 Gir lions fall to Babesiosis, Canine Distemper Virus.
Key Takeaways
- Eleven Asiatic Lionsâseveral of them cubsâhave died in Gujaratâs Gir landscape over the past 10 days, with the state government now attributing the fatalities largely to a combination of Babesiosis and Canine Distemper Virus (CDV), a pathogen that had caused widespread lion deaths in 2018 as well.
- Seventeen lions have been isolated over a 10 km radius.
- The deaths, clustered in Amreli district, have revived anxieties about disease vulnerability of the Asiatic Lion in Gir, the last natural abode of the species.
- Read Full Story Earlier, amidst conflicting accounts of the death toll, state forest and environment minister Arjun Modhwadia had said that only two deaths were suspected to be linked to Babesiosis, a tick-borne parasitic disease, and the rest to infighting or other reasons.
- Modhwadia had said medical teams were monitoring lions and that such cases were typical of the first four or five months of the year.
đ Source: India Today
The BriefWire