Ahmedabad: A social media post by the Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), Gir East Division, has sparked fresh concerns that the recent deaths of 10 lion cubs and three adult lions in the Gir landscape may be linked to the canine distemper virus (CDV), according to a news report.

The DCF’s Facebook post referred to a “virus scare” in Gir while reporting the sighting of a healthy pride of five lions near Khapat village. The reference drew attention as the Gujarat forest department has so far attributed the deaths to suspected babesiosis, a tick-borne disease caused by Babesia parasites.

According to the TOI report, senior forest officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the virus mentioned in the post was CDV — the same pathogen responsible for the 2018 outbreak that killed 11 Asiatic lions. Officials said CDV remains one of the possible causes being investigated in the current case.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Jaipal Singh told TOI that laboratory results from the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) are awaited and the exact cause of death has not yet been confirmed.

Wildlife experts cited in the report said a CDV-babesiosis co-infection cannot be ruled out. While babesiosis is relatively common in Gir, fatalities from the disease alone are rare. Experts noted that lions weakened by babesiosis become more vulnerable to CDV, which can rapidly affect multiple organs.

Researchers from the Wildlife Institute of India have also pointed out that lion cubs, owing to their weaker immunity, are particularly susceptible to the combined impact of the two diseases. DeshGujarat