JOIN USPilikula Biological Park ups caution to keep Covid away
Close on the heels of eight Asiatic Lions in Hyderabad Zoo testing positive for Covid 19, Pilikula Biological Park, located outside Mangaluru city, have initiated precautionary measures to check the spread of Covid-19 among animals in its enclosures.
The management is aware that animals in the zoo would get infected by the transmission of virus from enclosure keepers. Thus Covid test is carried out on the caretakers of the animals at Pilikula zoo. Caretakers sanitise their hands and legs before moving near the enclosure of the animals. “We are monitoring the health of the caretakers as well. Wearing masks also has been made mandatory,” Park Director H Jayaprakash Bhandary told DH.
The enclosures and surrounding areas are also sanitised. The Biological Park has remained closed for the general public since the day lockdown was announced by government as a measure to check the spread of virus. The health of animals is monitored frequently.
No symptoms have been detected so far. Further, all caretakers have registered for Covid-19 vaccine. Efforts will be made to administer vaccines to them at the earliest, he said.
The Covid-19 also had cast a shadow on the animal exchange programme of Pilikula Biological Park. “If everything had gone as according to our plan, white tigers and other animals would have reached Pilikula Biological Park by now,” Bhandary said. To a query on maintenance of the Park, Bhandary said that animal adoption programmes have been helping in the maintenance of the park.
The Park earns around Rs 2.5 crore to Rs 3 crore as entry fee from the visitors. But the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the gate collection. Earlier, 4,000 to 5,000 visitors would visit the Biological Park during weekends. After Covid-19, number of visitors have come down drastically, Bhandary rued.
About Pilikula Biological Park
Pilikula Biological Park is one of the major attractions of Dr Shivarama Karanth Pilikula Nisargadhama located on banks of Gurupura river. The park has an area of 150 acres and houses about 1200 animals of 120 species of mammals, reptiles and birds. The Central Zoo Authority of India (ZAI) has recognised the park as a major zoo. As per modern zoological practices, the animals are kept in spacious enclosures closely resembling their natural habitat.