Gujarat records 307 lion deaths in last two years; 73% from illnesses, infightings
Despite the deaths, Gujarat’s lion population has continued to grow. The 16th lion census held on May 13, 2025, recorded 891 lions, compared to 674 in 2020.
As many as 307 Asiatic lions died in Gujarat between August 1, 2023, and July 31, 2025, the state government informed the assembly on Wednesday. Of these, 51 deaths (16.6%) were natural, while 256 deaths (83.4%) were attributed to unnatural causes, forest and environment minister Mulubhai Bera said in reply to a question from Congress MLA Shailesh Parmar.
According to the data, 141 lions died in 2023-24, and that figure rose to 166 in 2024-25. Illness accounted for 60 deaths (42.5%) in the first year of the compilation period, and 91 (54.8%) in the second, making it 151 due to illnesses (49.2% of all deaths). Infighting led to the death of 38 lions (27%) in 2023-24, and 36 (21.6%) in 2024-25, adding up to 74 deaths (24.1%) of the total figure.
Natural deaths from old age and weakness were recorded at 24 in the first year, and 27 in the second. Road accidents lead to at least one lion death every year, while railway accidents killed five lions in 2023-24 but none in 2024-25. Electrocution killed one lion in the first year and two in the second. Open wells caused seven deaths in 2023-24, and 13 in 2024-25. Drowning killed three lions in the first year and four in the second.
A quick comparison with earlier data shows a rise in unnatural deaths, as in 2021-22 and 2022-23, 286 lions died due to these causes, of which 228 were natural and 58 were unnatural.
A wildlife expert who spoke on condition of anonymity said the rise in deaths from illness and infighting points to pressure on habitat and calls for better health surveillance. He sought faster covering of wells, safer road and rail crossings, better tracking of lion movements, and strengthened veterinary networks to prevent disease outbreaks such as the 2018 canine distemper episode that killed over two dozen lions in a month.
Bera told the House that ₹37.35 crore was spent in the last two years on measures to reduce unnatural deaths, including covering open wells, strengthening veterinary infrastructure, and improving rescue operations.
Despite the deaths, Gujarat’s lion population has continued to grow. The 16th lion census held on May 13, 2025, recorded 891 lions, compared to 674 in 2020. Lion population now ranges across seven districts, including 339 in Amreli, 222 in Gir-Somnath, and 191 in Junagadh.
