JOIN USZoos in Telangana asked to be high alert after tiger tests positive for COVID-19 in US
The Forest department in Telangana has asked zoos and deer parks in the state to be on "highest alert" while issuing a set of directives to its officers after a tiger in a New York zoo tested positive for coronavirus.
State Principal Chief Conservator of Forests R Sobha in a communication on Monday to officials, said the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) informed about the confirmation of COVID-19 in a tiger housed in a zoo in New York, USA.
She advised that the zoos/deer parks in the state remain on "highest alert" and watch animals on 24x7 basis using CCTV for any abnormal behaviour/symptoms.
"Zoos/deer parks in the state are, therefore advised to remain on highest alert, watch animals on 24x7 basis using CCTVs for any abnormal behaviour/symptoms, keepers/handles not to be allowed in the vicinity without safety gear preferably PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) isolate & quarantine sick animals and have least contact while providing food to animals," the communication said.
She directed that mammals like carnivores, especially cat, feral and primates should be carefully monitored and forthrightly samples of suspect cases be sent to the designated animal health institutes, including National Institute of High Security Animal Disease (NHSAD), Bhopal and National Research Centre on Equines (NRCE), Hisar, Haryana.
All zoo/deer park personnel should strictly adhere to safety and disinfection protocol issued by the government time to time on COVID-19, it said.
No sick animal keeper should be allowed near the zoo/deer park animals, it said.
All animal keepers shall self-sanitize before feeding animals or cleaning the enclosures/night houses, it said.
The animals enclosures/night houses shall be thoroughly sanitized, it added.