Lions are one of the most well-known wild animals. As the rulers of the jungle, lions show strength, power, and leadership.

But even mighty lions can get various diseases. Knowing the common sicknesses in lions, what makes them spread, and how they affect lion groups is key for conservation efforts.

Common Diseases in Lions

Lions can get infectious diseases from house cats, other wild animals, and even people. Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline panleukopenia virus are some of the most common.

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)

Like HIV in humans, feline immunodeficiency virus makes it hard for a lion’s body to fight infections and disease. This weakens their immune system.

• FIV spreads through bites and scratches during aggressive fights.
• An infected mother lion can also pass FIV to her cubs.
• Lions with FIV often get secondary infections, cancer, kidney failure, and other problems over time.

Feline Panleukopenia Virus

Feline panleukopenia is a very contagious parvovirus. It causes severe gut inflammation and lowers white blood cells.

• It spreads through contact with infected poop and can stay alive in the environment.
• The virus leads to life-threatening diarrhea, throwing up, dehydration, and secondary infections.
• Young cubs are especially at risk. More than 50% of infected juveniles can die.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Lions can get bovine tuberculosis (bTB) from infected cattle and buffalo.

• Eating contaminated meat spreads bTB to lions.
• It causes chronic coughing, fatigue, weight loss, and lung problems.
• bTB makes it hard for lions to hunt and eventually kills them.

Canine Distemper

Canine distemper virus moves to big cats like lions from infected domestic dogs.

• It spreads through breathing in air particles or contact with body fluids.
• In 1994, over 1,000 Serengeti lions died from an outbreak linked to domestic dogs.
• Distemper causes fever, brain issues, and severe lung disease.

Less Common but Still Dangerous Diseases

While less common, other diseases still threaten some lion groups locally.

Anthrax

Anthrax is a natural bacteria. It can poison plant eaters and spread to meat eaters through eaten carcasses.

• Skin anthrax causes skin sores. Gut anthrax leads to fever, throwing up blood, and sudden death.
• In 2010, anthrax killed over 100 hippos in Uganda and then spread to lions that fed on them.

Feline Calicivirus

Feline calicivirus in lions causes mouth sores, upper lung infections, and pneumonia.

• It spreads through saliva and lung fluids.
• Though rarely deadly alone, it can increase the risk for other infections.

Rabies

Rabies is an almost always fatal viral disease. It spreads through the saliva of infected animals.

• Lions get rabies from bites of rabid jackals, hyenas, bats, and other wildlife.
• It infects the brain and spinal cord, causing aggression, paralysis, and fast death.

Why Diseases Spread

Knowing why diseases go through lion groups guides targeted conservation plans.

Contact with Domestic Animals and Humans

Household pets and farm animals are disease reservoirs. They pass infections to wild lions through direct and indirect contact.

• Distemper, FIV, rabies, bTB and more come from village and farm creatures.
• As lion habitats shrink, wild cats interact more with people and their pets.
• Tourists unknowingly spread germs when getting too near wildlife.

Climate Change and Droughts

Climate change and severe droughts force lions into farm areas to find food. This allows the disease to spread where livestock meets wild animals.

• Starving lions eat infected carcasses and prey on domestic animals.
• Droughts also group wild plant eaters, aiding the spread of diseases like anthrax.

Lack of Genetic Diversity

The small, isolated lion groups left have little genetic diversity. This makes them more at risk for outbreaks.

• Inbreeding increases vulnerability to infections and lowers survival ability.
• It risks gene mutations that hurt health.
• Low diversity means if some lions die, others likely will too.

Impacts of Disease

Diseases greatly affect lion health and breeding success.

High Rates of Death

Infectious diseases have caused large lion die-offs all over Africa.

• The 1994 Serengeti canine distemper epidemic killed over 1,000 lions.
• In 2001 in Ngorongoro Crater, over 90% of cubs died from confirmed or suspected panleukopenia.
• Diseases rarely fatal alone like feline calicivirus become deadly mixed with other threats.

Threats to Small, Isolated Groups

Isolated lion groups number fewer than 50-100 animals. So disease can wipe them out quickly.

• After a 1993 distemper outbreak, Tanzania’s Tarangire group dropped from 100 to 20 lions.
• In the 1990s, wild lions vanished entirely from Mount Kenya partly due to canine distemper.

Effects on Mating and Nursing

Diseases like panleukopenia and canine distemper kill over half of the infected cubs. They also:

• Cause stillbirths and miscarriages
• Stop egg implantation and sperm formation
• Disrupt nursing when mothers are ill

This badly impairs breeding and juvenile growth.

Ongoing Conservation Efforts

Several projects aim to protect lions from disease through prevention, early warning, and outbreak response.

Vaccination and Treatment Programs

Projects vaccinate and deworm domestic creatures near reserves to create buffer zones between livestock and wildlife.

• Over 8,500 domestic dogs vaccinated for canine distemper around Tanzanian parks.
• Lion Guardians promote safety among Kenyan and Tanzanian herders.
• Rangers actively treat lions when possible, but capacity is limited.

Public Education and Outreach

Conservation groups teach communities about disease prevention and the risks of contact between domestic animals and wildlife.

• Over 800 households reached in Kenya-Tanzania border towns.
• Informs Maasai herders about canine distemper risks.
• Discourages traditional medicine using lion parts.

Habitat Protection and Restoration

Preserving movement corridors and buffers allows lions to roam safely. Restoring landscapes also provides adequate, disease-free prey.

• Maintains genetic diversity key for disease resistance.
• Reduces contact and conflict with humans and livestock.
• Over 8,100 km2 of land corridors secured for Marsh pride lions.

Conclusion

Infectious diseases threaten the survival of vulnerable lion groups, especially when combined with human pressures.

Targeted vaccination, outreach, habitat connectivity, and community involvement offer key conservation solutions to combat disease spread.

With informed action, lions can continue reigning strong even against unseen health dangers.