Gujarat: Over 24 Asiatic lions ‘die of babesiosis’ in 3 months, forest minister says it’s ‘under control’

The outbreak of the disease caused by the babesia protozoa still persists, sources in Gujarat forest department told The Indian Express on Thursday.

Written by Gopal B Kateshiya | Rajkot | Updated: June 4, 2020 8:24:58 pm

Even as the Gujarat forest department is preparing to undertake the monthly exercise of observing Asiatic lions, veterinarians continue to fight the outbreak of babesiosis among these lions in Gir (East) Wildlife Division. Gujarat Forest Minister Ganpat Vasava, however, claimed that the situation is under control.

Over two dozen Asiatic lions in Gir (East) Wildlife Division have reportedly died of babesiosis since March this year. The outbreak of the disease caused by the babesia protozoa still persists, sources in Gujarat forest department told The Indian Expresson Thursday.

“It is still there. Besides treating the infected lions, we are taking measures like burning grass around water-holes where ticks are found and sanitising cattle,” a source said.

A team from the Central government had recently visited the Gir forest, reportedly to assess the situation. However, Vasava said, “Babesia is much under control now. Teams of veterinary doctors are on the job.” Regarding the visit by the Centre’s team, Vasava said it was a routine visit. “It was not a special visit. They keep visiting various sanctuaries in the country and they came here the same way. They have observed everything,” the minister said.

The babesia protozoa attacks the red blood cells of animals and makes them anemic. The forest department has been rescuing infected lions or suspected cases to animal care centres and treating them. The department has also been releasing lions back into the wild after they recover from the infection. “It is almost over now. The situation is very much under control now,” said a field officer of the forest department.

Incidentally, the 15th lion population estimation exercise, popularly known as lion census, was due to be conducted this summer but was postponed indefinitely due to the outbreak of Covid-19. However, forest department officials and other staffers will continue the routine monthly exercise of “observing” lions on full moons, falling on Friday and Saturday this June.
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/rajkot/gujarat-aisatic-lions-babesiosis-forest-minister-6442919/

Saurashtra: Lions rule 30k sq km, territory grew by 400%

Himanshu Kaushik | TNN | Updated: Jun 4, 2020, 11:12 IST
AHMEDABAD: The Poonam Avlokan which has been announced for the first time by the forest department will cover an area of 30,000 sq km, the biggest surveyed so far in terms of lion footfall.
The lion kingdom in Saurashtra has registered an increase of 400% in the past 19 years. The territory which was near 6,000 sq km in 2001, now stretches across 30,000 sq km.

Announcing the lion census, the forest department said that the 300 forest beat guards will fan out across the 30,000 sq km to count the rulers of the forest. “Each beat guard will have to cover an area of about 100 sq km, which is a huge challenge,” said a forest official.
The population of Gir lions has grown from 327 in 2001 to nearly 750 as at the last Poonam Avalokan in May this year, registering a growth of 114%.
The latest figure, however, does not include lionesses with cubs, who usually go into hiding to save cubs from other lions.
“Usually, once the cubs are born, the mother goes in hiding to save the young ones from other lions. They hide in areas which are difficult to reach. Hence the count of 750 does not include such females and the newborn cubs.”
A senior forest official said, “The department has asked the field staff to upload photos along with the locations and time of lion sightings so that the count is more accurate.” H S Singh, a lion expert and a member of the National Board for Wildlife said, “The number of lions is increasing due to conservation efforts by the state government and the people of Saurashtra. There has been no killing or poaching of lions in the region except some sporadic incident of electrocution or falling in wells.” He said that the lions are pushing the boundaries of their kingdom and reaching out to new places. But I feel that the core lion kingdom is in an area of 13,000 sq km where they are regularly sighted. Areas like Surendranagar cannot be said to be in their regular territory.”
A senior officer refusing to be identified said that the department now has to put in place better disease surveillance and form a task force to meet regularly and talk on disease management. The department has to accept that with the growth population lions are now staying close to humans and domestic cattle infections are going to happen. “All we need is a nearly 1,000 sq km of national park which will help us to keep the animals at least in that area safe from any kind of outbreak,” the official said.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/lions-rule-30k-sq-km-territory-grew-by-400/articleshow/76184895.cms

Madhya Pradesh’s ‘tall’ idea: Can we get giraffes from Africa?

P Naveen | TNN | Updated: Jun 5, 2020, 14:40 IST
BHOPAL: While we wait for Gir lions to be shifted to Madhya Pradesh, why not get some giraffes from Africa?
The MP forest department has already proposed reintroducing cheetahs from Africa in Kuno-Palpur wildlife sanctuary, which has been prepped for shifting of Asiatic lions from Gujarat.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/mps-tall-idea-can-we-get-giraffes-from-africa/articleshow/76185626.cms

No lion census, only observation activity this week in Gujarat

PTI, Ahmedabad, JUN 03 2020, 20:52 ISTUPDATED: JUN 03 2020, 20:52 IST

The Gujarat forest department on Wednesday clarified that it would just be conducting a lion observation activity on June 5 and 6 and not a lion census.

The census of lions, which was to be carried out last month, had to be put off in view of the coronavirus-triggered lockdown, it said.

The Junagadh forest department, under whose jurisdiction the Gir Wildlife sanctuary is located, clarified this amid reports that the state government would carry out the lion census on Friday and Saturday with only forest department staff.

"On every full moon day, we ask the forest department personnel to observe lions in the areas assigned to the staff. We will take up a similar exercise from 2 pm on on June 5 to 2 pm on June 6," Chief Conservator of Forests, D T Vasavda, said in a statement.

"This is not a lion census. Lion census is carried out every five years in an extensive manner. Large number of central and state government officials, wild life lovers, NGOs and members of National Board of Wildlife are involved in it," he said.

The last census was carried out in 2015 and it was supposed to be held during summer this year. But due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown, it was not possible, he said.

"This full moon day observation exercise will be carried and rough estimation of figures arrived at will be used for internal policy making for the safety oflions," he said.

https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/no-lion-census-only-observation-activity-this-week-in-gujarat-845255.html

Fresh lion count could dispel concerns about recent deaths in Gujarat

Maulik Pathak & Himanshu Kaushik | TNN | Updated: Jun 3, 2020, 10:54 IST

The full moon count will now be conducted by about 300 forest officials on June 5 and 6

Ahmedabad: The state forest department is planning to carry out its monthly survey of the Asiatic lion population on June 5 and June 6, which will act as a base for planning of lion-related activities in the state. This comes after the state’s plan to hold a full-fledged five-year official census that was due this year, was deferred due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
A large number of lion deaths in the past two months have sparked concerns among wildlife activists, many of whom say that a deadly virus like the canine distemper virus (CDV) could be the reason behind these deaths. The new population estimates are expected to show a considerable rise in lion numbers in Gujarat, and will likely dispel concerns about these deaths.

“These deaths seem to be natural. If the lion numbers are far higher than the 2015 numbers that are taken as reference, the recent deaths should not be a major concern. We are waiting for the report of the team which comprised of Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Delhi and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) officials,” said a senior official with the ministry of environment, forests and climate change. He said the report is expected in the next 10 days.
The census, which otherwise sees the participation of at 500 volunteers and wildlife enthusiasts, will be done by the state forest officials only this time. While forest officials said that this is being done due to Covid-19, wildlife activists say it raises questions about transparency.
MLAs and sarpanches of various villages are likely to be involved in the two-day exercise, sources said.
The numbers are estimated to 25% higher than the last count of 523 animals in 2015, sources said.
The department has also begun a drive for Covid-19 testing of the foresters who are to participate in the survey.
The Asiatic lion population is distributed in nine districts of Saurashtra: Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Botad, Porbandar, Rajkot, Porbandar and Surendranagar, covering 30,000sq km, called the Asiatic lion landscape.
The population estimation conducted every five years, was earlier to take place between June 3 and June 6, said Rajiv Gupta, additional chief secretary, forest and environment.
“This exercise sees a lot of participation from wildlife enthusiasts, NGOs and volunteers in addition to the forest department personnel. However, owing to the Covid-19 situation and advisories of the central and state governments, the Asiatic Lion Population Estimation 2020 shall not be conducted as planned from June 3 and 6. The involvement of locals, NGOs and volunteers unfortunately cannot be allowed in these testing times. The full moon count will now be conducted by about 300 forest officials on June 5 and 6. The count will give us an estimation for the future planning as the official census cannot be held now,” said Gupta.
A team from the Centre which was recently in the state following reports of lion deaths, left on Monday, said sources. At least 30 lions have died in the last two months or so while an equal number have been captured. Of the captured lions, five were released in the wild and a few of them that were sent to Sakkarbaug Zoo, are believed to have died, sources said. As many as 15 lions are still in captivity, sources added.
The large number of deaths seemed to follow a pattern similar to the canine distemper virus (CDV) outbreak of 2018, which killed 27 lions in a similar span of time, according to a wildlife expert. The state forest department has denied that the deaths were due to CDV and said that a few could be due to babesia, a tick-borne pathogen. The department had captured about 30 lions during the CDV outbreak of 2018. They are yet to be released.
Wildlife experts say that symptoms like coughing, fever, salivation followed by death in four to five days along with presence of pus in lungs, would point out to the re-emergence of CDV. Babesia alone cannot cause so many deaths, they say. In the last few days, five lion deaths took place in the Gir forest region, with the department recovering the bones in only one case. This has made some experts speculate that the death toll of the past two months may be much higher than 30, sources said.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/fresh-lion-count-could-dispel-concerns-about-recent-deaths-in-gujarat/articleshow/76169147.cms

IUCN clubs Indian lions with two African lion groups

Himanshu Kaushik | TNN | Jun 2, 2020, 13:41 IST

AHMEDABAD: The Asiatic lions of Gujarat may no longer be counted vastly different from their counterparts in central and west Africa. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has recently made changes in the binomial nomenclature, clubbing these groups due to genetic similarity.
All the majestic cats found in these three regions are now identified as Panthera leo leo, according to a recent report by the Cats Specialist group, IUCN.

This report has revised the taxonomy of the Felidae and classified the lions into two sub-species namely Panthera leo leo and Panthera leo melanochaita. Earlier, there were 11 sub-species, including Pathera leo persica, that was used to identify Asiatic lions.
The report of the IUCN states that lions of central and west Africa and India; formerly found throughout North Africa, SE Europe, the middleeast, Arabian peninsula, south west Asia are now classified as Panthera leo leo, while Panthera leo melanochaita is for the lions found in southern and eastern Africa.
The report further states that lions in Asia, which are often referred to as being distinct sub-species have only colonised south west Asia within the last 20,000 years. This is far earlier than suggestions that lions were introduced to India from East Africa from the 17th Century by the Mughals. A study analysed craniometric variation, although some populations were poorly represented, example West Africa, and found a broadly similar pattern of variation with the main differentiation in skull shape being between lions in southern and eastern Africa and those in the rest of the range including India. Studies in 2011 and 2016 have confirmed this basic pattern of differentiation into two subspecies based on genetic data; one from south and east Africa and another from the rest of the range.
“In my recent research paper, I have suggested Panthera leo leo as the name for the Asiatic lions. The Cats Group had now classified Asiatic lion as Panthera leo leo which was earlier identified as Panthera leo persica. Their research (by Cats Group) which is based on genetic studies, shows that lions in Gujarat have more similarity with African lions which was the base for recent re-classification,” says Meena Venkataraman, a researcher on lion and scientist associated with Carnivore Conservation and Research, Mumbai.
Y V Jhala, a lion expert and researcher at Wildlife Institute of India (WII), said, “There is a paper published by IUCN Cats specialist group. The group has revised the classification.”
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/iucn-clubs-indian-lions-with-two-african-lion-groups/articleshow/76151974.cms

Man drinks poison, dies. Leopard eats his body, dies Read more at: https://ahmedabadmirror.indiatimes.com/ahmedabad/others/man-drinks-poison-dies-leopard-eats-his-body-dies/articleshow/76142479.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Ahmedabad Mirror / Updated: Jun 2, 2020, 06:00 IST 
By Nischal Sanghavi

Junagadh police discover pesticide bottle besides decomposed human body and a dead leopard nearby in the Gir forest

In a first of its kind incident, which at first flummoxed cops, dead bodies of an unidentified man and a leopard were found in close vicinity of each other in the Gir forest on Sunday.

Junagadh Deputy Conservator of Forest Dr S K Berwal said the body was found near Datar which is a popular religious place, about half an hour's drive from Junagadh. On Sunday morning around 9 am the forest team was passing through a forest area when they came across foul smell. Upon checking, they discovered a decomposed human body. They immediately informed Junagadh police which arrived on the spot.

Police Sub Inspector N K Vaja of Junagadh's Bhavnath Police Station said closer inspection in the vicinity of the body yielded carcass of a leopard. They also found a bottle of pesticide near the unidentified human body.

For now, police has concluded that the man consumed pesticide to end his life. When the leopard came across the body and feasted on it, it also died. Officials said leopard must have died within minutes of eating the dead body as its body was found in close vicinity.

Vaja said the human remains and leopard's body have been sent for post mortem to establish the theory.The body of the wild cat has been handed over to Sakkarbaug Zoo in Junagadh.

As to the identity of the dead human, cops are investigating by inquiring in the nearby areas and also ascertaining if any missing person's complaint has been filed.

https://ahmedabadmirror.indiatimes.com/ahmedabad/others/man-drinks-poison-dies-leopard-eats-his-body-dies/articleshow/76142479.cms

Gujarat: Decision on 15th lion census soon, says forest dept

“Discussions are are on about conducting the lion census and a final decision is likely to be taken within a few days,” Dushyant Vasavada, chief conservator of forests of Junagadh wildlife circle, told The Indian Express on Sunday.

• Written By Gopal Kateshiya | Rajkot |
• Published: June 1, 2020 4:18:29 am
  

  As the state is gradually getting back to normal after the nation-wide lockdown due to outbreak of novel coronavirus easing, Gujarat forest department on Sunday said that a decision to conduct the 15th lion census would be taken in the next few days.

  “Discussions are are on about conducting the lion census and a final decision is likely to be taken within a few days,” Dushyant Vasavada, chief conservator of forests of Junagadh wildlife circle, told The Indian Express on Sunday.

  The pentennial lion population estimation exercise was scheduled to be undertaken early this month. However, it was deferred due to the Covid-19pandemic and the nation wide lockdown. Government offices were working with minimal staff and 1,523 forest guards, foresters and range forest officers were deputed to enforce the lockdown.

  “Those offices and guards have been repatriated to the forest department now. We have enough staff to conduct the lion census. We are making a plan and will consolidate the staff in Gir forest,” Dinesh Kumar Shar-ma, principal chief conservator of forests and head of forest force (PCCF& HoF) of Gujarat said.

  It was for the first time in 20 years that a lion census had to be deferred. The 11th lion census was scheduled to be conducted in year 2000 but due to rains in summer that year, it had to be deferred to the next year.

  The Junagadh CCF, under whose jurisdiction the Gir forest and other protected areas – the last natural habitat of Asiatic lions in the world – falls, said that the census has to be done in summer. “During monsoon and winter, access to forests will be difficult. During summer, the animals remain around water points. Therefore, counting is easier,” said Vasavada.

  Gir forest and other protected areas spread across Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Amreli and Bhavnagar districts are the last natural habitat of Asiatic lions. The population surviving in this part of Gujarat is the only population of wild lions in the world, besides Africa.

  The 14th lion census cond-ucted in 2015 had estimated lion population to be 523.
  https://indianexpress.com/article/india/gujarat-decision-on-15th-lion-census-soon-says-forest-dept-6436662/lite/