Research overview: lentivirus and pathogen exposure in the isolated Asiatic lions of Gir

The last wild Asiatic lions, confined to the Gir Forest of India, form a small, genetically depleted population whose disease exposure draws particular concern. This overview surveys what is known and uncertain about feline immunodeficiency virus and other pathogens in these lions, set against the backdrop of a 2018 canine distemper and babesiosis mortality event that killed dozens of animals. It discusses the heightened epidemic risk in a single, dense, inbred population, the role of surrounding domestic dogs and livestock, and calls to establish a second wild population as insurance. The synthesis frames Gir as a cautionary example of how concentration and low genetic diversity amplify disease threats, and why pathogen surveillance is integral to Asiatic lion conservation.