Gir lion
Wildlife experts said babesiosis, a tick-borne disease caused by Babesia parasites that attacks red blood cells, can cause progressive anaemia. They said an animal suffering from babesiosis could eventually die from multi-organ failure, septic shock or other complications, which could then be recorded as the cause of death in postmortem reports. The conditions listed by govt include septicaemia, pneumonia or haemorrhagic pneumonia, anaemia, hepato-renal dysfunction or kidney failure, multi-organ dysfunction or failure, myocardial infarction, paralysis and arthritis, gastroenteritis, roundworm infection, encephalitis, central nervous system disorder, ascites, bronchopneumonia, acute ileus and septic shock. Severe infections can lead to neurological complications and damage to multiple organs. Medical facilities have been established at rescue centres, while a dedicated lion ambulance and rapid action and rescue teams have also been deployed. Wildlife treatment centres are functional at Sasan, Jamwala, Jasadhar, Sakkarbaug Zoo, Junagadh, Saat Virda, Krankach, Babarkot and Zanzarda. However, wildlife experts associated with the department alleged that babesiosis was being obscured by listing the terminal complications rather than the underlying disease.