Over 300 Asiatic lions died in Gujarat in 2 years: Minister

At least 307 Asiatic lions died in Gujarat in the last two years, and 41 of these fatalities occurred due to unnatural causes, state Forest Minister Mulubhai Bera has told the legislative assembly.

Responding to a query raised by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Umesh Makwana during the Question Hour on Wednesday, he said the state government spent Rs 37.35 crore on various measures during these two years to check unnatural deaths of lions.

While 141 lions died between August 2023 and July 2024, the deaths of 166 big cats were reported between August 2024 and July 2025, Bera told the House.

Of these 307 lions, 41 were killed due to unnatural causes. While 20 felines died after falling into wells, nine others drowned in other water bodies. Other causes include natural calamity (two lions), road accident (two), run over by trains (five) and electric shock (three), he said.

The state government has taken various steps to curb the unnatural deaths of big cats, such as setting up centres for the treatment of wild animals at different spots, appointing veterinary doctors and introducing an ambulance service for timely intervention and treatment of lions, the minister said.

Other measures include building speed-breakers and installing signboards on roads passing through sanctuary areas, regular foot patrolling in forests, building parapet walls for open wells near forests, putting up fences on both sides of the railway track near Gir Wildlife Sanctuary and radio-collaring Asiatic lions to track their movement, he said.

As per the 2025 census, the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary and its surrounding areas in Gujarat are home to 891 Asiatic lions. The Legislative Assembly’s three-day monsoon session came to an end on Wednesday.