Wildlife vets resign en masse over ‘flawed’ hiring rules

Rajkot/Ahmedabad: At a time when the Babesia infection has killed five lions including two cubs, a vital cog in the disease management machine — 12 contracted veterinary doctors who were mainly posted in Gir and Sakkarbaug Zoo — have submitted their resignations en masse, to protest Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) recruitment rules.

The vets submitted a joint resignation, saying the GPSC rules ignore specialized wildlife experience even as the state battles a virus-linked spate of lion deaths.

The veterinarians, working with the Gujarat State Lion Conservation Society and the Sakkarbaug Zoo Management Advisory Society, gave their one-month notice last week.

Their protest centres on the GPSC advertisement for 18 permanent Class II veterinary officer posts. The doctors say the recruitment rules mirror those of the animal husbandry department, without giving weight to experience in treating wild animals.

Principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) Jaipal Singh confirm that had received the resignation letter. The doctors want that their experience with wildlife be given weightage in the recruitment process. The issue is pending with the govt and is yet to be decided.

The veterinarians argue that wildlife healthcare demands specialized skills, distinct from treating livestock, particularly in emergency rescues, disease control and managing man-animal conflict. Of the 12 contracted doctors, most are posted in Gir and the greater Gir area, while two are working with the forest department on deputation from the animal husbandry department.

“The state’s wildlife healthcare currently relies heavily on these vets. The 12 contracted officers handle the bulk of critical field duties, including rescue operations, postmortems and healthcare for an estimated 891 Asiatic lions, alongside numerous other species across the state’s diverse geography, including the florican and wild ass,” said Yash Baraiya, who is posted in Velavadar. He added that treating livestock and treating wild animals are “completely different”, and veterinary officers without wildlife experience should not be assigned such work.

Before resigning, the veterinarians urged the authorities to amend the recruitment rules to prioritize candidates with at least one year of wildlife or zoo experience. They pointed out that similar preference was earlier given in recruitment for the GEER Foundation in Gandhinagar.

Despite representations being made to the head of the forest force, the chief conservator of forests (Wildlife Circle, Junagadh) and the principal secretary, the matter remains unresolved.

“As no appropriate or satisfactory resolution has been provided, we are submitting our joint resignation with a one-month notice period according to our contract conditions, effective May 15, 2026,” the veterinarians stated in their letter.

The resignations come while the forest department fights to contain a virus among lions, with five lions dying in the last 10 days. “We visited higher officials in Gandhinagar and pursued our point, but we got a negative response,” said Dhaval Savaliya, who is posted at Vadal in Palitana.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Bakrid wishes, messages and eid 2026