Two rabies-linked lion deaths in four months, one confirmed in June and another reported in Oct, have raised concerns about disease surveillance in the last stronghold of the Asiatic lion. Ahmedabad: Already vulnerable to deadly infections, lions in the Greater Gir landscape are now facing a fresh, alarming threat: rabies.
The latest case involved a lioness that attacked five people in Amreli before dying within 20 hours of being rescued. The rabies-linked lion death comes even as Gujarat govt has issued fresh directives to aggressively implement Gujarat Rabies Control Regulations, 2023, amid gaps in dog-bite data and rabies surveillance. District and municipal authorities have been asked to document dog-bite cases, immediately report anti-rabies vaccine shortages and strengthen treatment protocols to meet the goal of ‘Zero human rabies deaths by 2030’. Two lion deaths linked to the disease had been documented around 2020, but the latest cases have brought the danger back into focus nearly six years later.
They are under observation, sources said. There are hardly any dogs inside the sanctuary, but the situation outside needs attention,” said a lion expert on condition of anonymity. H S Singh, former member of National Board for Wildlife, said rabies was not a new threat to Gir’s lions.
The victims were initially taken to a primary healthcare centre, but it lacked anti-rabies vaccines. All five were then administered the vaccine at a private hospital as part of standard protocol. Apart from dogs, jackals and mongooses can also carry the rabies virus, creating multiple potential transmission routes in areas where they share space with humans and livestock. “Gujarat is sitting on a ticking time bomb and needs to act. The scale of the potential threat is reflected in the large population of feral dogs in districts surrounding Gir, making these human-dominated areas critical for disease surveillance and prevention. Feral dogs can carry both the rabies virus and canine distemper virus (CDV), while ticks associated with cattle can transmit parasites that cause babesiosis, another potentially fatal disease affecting lions. Experts called for clear protocols to test suspected rabies cases, investigate unexplained lion deaths and trace transmission routes across Greater Gir. They also urged prompt post-exposure treatment for people and stronger surveillance beyond the protected forest area.