NEWSLINK: Gir lions affected by deadly virus last year, vulnerable, may never be freed in the wild

"A course comprising three cycles of vaccination has been completed. All the big cats are now virus-free and fit," said chief conservator of forest Dushyant Vasavda told Hindustan Times.

But there is chance of lower immunity, their presence can possibly put the lives of other big cats in danger if they catch CDV again and hence the forest department has decided not reintroduced the Lions to the wild.

However, they are mulling a plan to use these lions for gene pool research, breeding, and animal exchange programmes between zoos.

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