Ahmedabad, May 27 -- Five Asiatic lions, including two cubs, have died in the Gir landscape over the last ten days, with no indication of any disease outbreak, forest department officials said. The deaths were reported from the Gir East and Gir West divisions of Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary. Gujarat forest minister Arjun Modhwadia on Tuesday said two cubs are suspected to have died due to infection linked to Babesia, while the remaining deaths occurred due to fighting or other reasons. He said the government does not see any large-scale health concern in the region and described the deaths as part of routine mortality in a free-ranging population. Samples from the carcasses have been collected and sent for laboratory testing, he said. A senior forest department official said that of the five deaths reported in the last ten days, one was due to injuries suffered in fighting and two due to natural causes. Babesia infection spreads through ticks and affects red blood cells, leading to weakness, respiratory distress and nasal discharge. Following the deaths, forest teams have stepped up surveillance in the affected ranges. Officials are monitoring lion groups and checking for symptoms. htc...