The Nationwide Tiger Conservation Authority, an company below the federal government’s environmental ministry, issued its order on Monday after the loss of life of a Covid-positive lioness a number of days prior.
“This newest occasion of a zoo animal getting contaminated by Covid-19 as soon as once more signifies the excessive chance of illness transmission from affected human beings to captive wild animals,” stated the order. “An analogous transmission can also occur in tiger reserves.”
To stop tigers and different wildlife from getting contaminated, all tiger reserves should shut for tourism actions till additional discover, the order stated.
The most recent outbreak came about on the Arignar Anna Zoological Park, often known as the Vandalur Zoo, within the southeastern metropolis of Chennai, the Tamil Nadu state authorities stated in a information launch.
A lot of Asiatic lions, an endangered species numbering solely within the a whole bunch, had proven signs of the illness within the zoo. On Thursday, a symptomatic 9-year-old lioness named Neela died. It stays unclear whether or not Covid-19 was the direct reason behind the animal’s loss of life.
Zoo officers and a staff of vets instantly quarantined all of the lions and began treating them with antibiotics. They’ve taken samples from the lions, tigers, and different massive mammals to ship for testing, hoping that genetic sequencing can reveal which pressure of the virus contaminated the lions.
The chief minister of Tamil Nadu, M. Okay. Stalin, visited the zoo on Sunday to evaluation the state of affairs with a lot of different ministers and wildlife authorities. Stalin ordered officers to make sure all zoo workers and animal handlers acquired vaccinations, and to “present the very best therapy to contaminated lions,” stated the discharge.
The outbreak follows eight constructive instances in March amongst lions at a Hyderabad zoo. Comparable outbreaks have additionally been reported within the lion enclosures of zoos and safaris in Jaipur and Etawah, stated the information launch. As a precautionary measure, Tamil Nadu closed its zoos to guests on April 20.
The information sparked fear amongst zoologists — after phrase unfold of the Bronx Zoo infections, India’s Nationwide Tiger Conservation Authority ordered all tiger reserves within the nation to look at their tigers for signs, and to make sure all animal handlers have been Covid-negative.
“It is in all probability not a coincidence that in India, the place you’ve gotten excessive numbers of instances, that transmission to animals is going on as a direct consequence,” he stated. “The extra instances in people, the upper the chance that animals, together with zoo animals, are getting contaminated.”
Felines like lions and tigers are notably susceptible to extreme illness, he added. Whereas animals like minks and ferrets could also be extra inclined to an infection, they typically do not develop extreme scientific signs — whereas the feline household, which incorporates home cats, “can succumb to the illness, which might make them actually sick.”
There are solely 523 recognized people left, in response to the WWF — they usually face widespread threats of poaching, habitat fragmentation, and human actions like wildlife tourism.
The zoo outbreaks “simply spotlight that people can transmit pathogens to animals, not solely the opposite manner round,” stated Osterrieder, pointing to illnesses launched by people that now threaten mountain gorilla species. “We all the time must be aware of that.”
