Gandhinagar: Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Wednesday convened a high-level meeting in Gandhinagar to review the recent deaths of lion cubs in the Gir region and assess measures being taken to monitor and safeguard the health of Asiatic lions in the area.

During the meeting, Principal Secretary of Forest and Environment Dr. Vinod Rao informed the Chief Minister that four lion cubs have died in different locations in the Gir landscape. He added that a total of 17 lions from the affected areas have been isolated and are currently under close observation and care as a precautionary measure.

Officials informed the Chief Minister that intensive monitoring is being carried out for all lions within a 10-km radius of the Gir Gadhada and Babaria areas. So far, no additional symptoms of illness have been detected in other lions under surveillance.

The Forest Department is also closely monitoring lions in the Mahsuli region spread across Amreli and Bhavnagar districts, with daily health reports being submitted to authorities.

As part of preventive measures against seasonal diseases commonly observed at the onset of summer, officials informed the meeting that health interventions, including de-ticking and related veterinary measures, have already been undertaken for more than 350 lions in the Gir region.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Jaipal Singh said specialist doctors from Junagadh Veterinary College have also joined the operation to strengthen monitoring and treatment efforts.

The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Sanjeev Kumar, Additional Principal Secretary Dr. Vikrant Pandey, Head of Forest Force Jaipal Singh, and Secretary to the Chief Minister Dr. Ajay Kumar, among other senior officials. DeshGujarat