Seven Asiatic Lion cubs have died in the Gir Forest National Park in the last week of May 2026, with a number of extra deaths thought to have occurred in areas of the forest outside the park. Seventeen adult Lions from the same population have been taken into quarantine by park officials.
The initial cause of the deaths was thought likely to be Canine Distemper Virus, a single-stranded RNA Virus of the Family Paramyxoviridae (the family of Viruses that includes the agents which cause Measles and Mumps in Humans), which can spread from domestic Dogs to wild Mammals, with Big Cats being particularly vulnerable. An outbreak of Canine Distemper in the Gir Forest killed 11 Lions in less than a month in 2018, and an outbreak in the Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh has killed four Tigers in April and May 2026.
However, it is now thought more likely that the Lions have been infected with Babesiosis, which is caused by Babesia spp., a type of Apicomplexan (single-celled parasitic Eukaryote) related to the Malaria parasite, Plasmodium. The Babesia is common in Deer, which make up a significant part of the diet of Asiatic Lions, although it can be spread to other species via biting Ticks. Like the Plasmodium parasite which causes Malaria, Babesia attacks the red blood cells, causing a similar illness to Malaria, with symptoms including anaemia and failure of the liver and kidneys. This can occasionally infect Humans, but is more commonly a problem for Cattle who can become infected if grazing in areas where Deer graze. In Lions, Babesiosis is particularly dangerous to cubs, with healthy adults usually able to shake off the infection.
Asiatic Lions are a sub-population of the Northern Lion, Panthera leo leo, which was once found across West, Central, and North Africa, southern Europe, the Middle East, and the North Indian Plain. The Lions of Southern and East Africa are a separate subspecies, Panthera leo melanochaita. All surviving Asiatic Lions are found within a single population, the Gir Forest of southern Gujarat State, India. This population has been growing in recent years, with 350 Lions recorded in 2008 and 891 in 2025. However, like all Lions, Asiatic Lions are territorial, and with each pride needing a fairly large home range. Thus the recovery of the species means that they have spread beyond the Gir Forest National Park into the neighbouring Amreli and Bhavnagar districts, areas where they come into conflict with Human herders and farmers, presenting additional challenges for their conservation. Asiatic Lions are considered to be Endangered under the terms of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species.
See also...
.png)
.png)
