Overview
- The government told the state Assembly that 307 lions died between August 1, 2023 and July 31, 2025 after Rs 37.35 crore was spent to reduce unnatural deaths.
- Lion fatalities rose year to year, from 141 in 2023–24 to 166 in 2024–25, with illness-related deaths increasing from 60 to 91.
- Illnesses accounted for 151 deaths, or roughly half of the total, while infighting caused 74 deaths across the two years.
- Recorded human-linked hazards included open-well falls (7 then 13), railway strikes (5 in 2023–24), electrocutions (1 then 2), drownings (3 then 4) and at least one road death each year.
- The 2025 census counted 891 lions confined to Gujarat, as experts called for stronger disease surveillance, faster veterinary response, better well-covering and safer road and rail crossings.