Three days after a lioness died of Covid-19 and eight lions tested positive for the novel coronavirus, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Sunday visited the Arignar Anna Zoological Park here to take stock of the situation.
The zoo located in Vandalur on the outskirts of the city is one of the oldest in the country. Stalin reviewed the situation in the zoo and asked senior officials of the Department of Environment and Forest to take all measures to provide the best treatment to infected lions as per protocols.
During the review meeting, Stalin also asked authorities to ensure that proper vaccination is administered to all animal handlers and zoo officials.
“The chief minister was taken around the enclosures through the eco-friendly battery-operated vehicle, where the first instance of Covid-19 was found in lions. ..., the officials explained about the measures taken to identify the causes of such infections,” a statement from the government said.
The samples of all lions, which tested positive, are being analysed through genetic sequencing at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad, an approved animal SARS-CoV-2 virus sequencing centre by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA).
“This analysis is expected to throw better insights into the reasons and possibilities of Covid-19 contraction by animals,” the statement added.
While a nine-year-old lioness died of Covid-19 on June 4, eight Asiatic lions tested positive on the same day.