Quarantine set up for animals in India

Isolation wards to be built in Jim Corbett

Monday, 13th April 2020

A Malayan tiger in the US was tested positive for Covid-19. In response to this, Indian authorities are building isolation wards for animals in Jim Corbett National Park. “At least 10 quarantine centers are being prepared within the premises to contain animals. We are also holding talks on converting the cages built for wild animals into a quarantine facility”, stated RK Tiwari, Warden of Jim Corbett National Park. He added, “Any animal with symptoms will be quarantined, the cameras installed in the vicinity of the national park will record the cold and cough symptoms of animals”.

In forest areas, animals are less likely to get infected, said Dr Dushyant, Medical Officer, Jim Corbett. Further, he stated, “However, if the animals which live near the human population come into contact with an infected person or thing, then they might get infected too”.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has made it compulsory for all the workers to get tested for corona virus in order to prevent transmission of Covid-19 infection to tigers. Parks need to immediately report if any tiger falls ill, to the tiger welfare body.

In Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh, 15 monkeys died in two days. Though the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) is yet to give the autopsy report, veterinary doctors speculate that the monkeys may have died of pneumonia. The monkeys, having liver and kidney infection, consumed water, probably contaminated by insecticides, according to IVRI.

The lungs were swollen and they had high fever, said Prakash Neer, a veterinarian. Nonetheless, people assume that the monkeys were probably infected by corona virus.