Ranchi
All 21 felines in Jharkhand's Ranchi Zoo — right from 1.3 years tiger cubs to 14-year-old Mallik — are undergoing Covid-19 test to rule out chances of infection in the wake of death of tiger Shiva down with fever for 3 days, an official said Saturday.
The decision for mandatory Covid test of felines was taken amid coronavirus scare though 10-year old tiger Shiva, who died on Thursday night tested negative in RAT but results of RT-PCR are awaited. Shiva, suffering from high fever since Tuesday, had left eating and had barely touched the chicken soup it was offered during the sickness before it died.
“We have 21 lions,tigers and leopards left at Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park, Ormanjhi, Ranchi after Shiva died on Thursday night. To rule out even the remote possibility of Covid-19 among felines, we have deciced that all will undergo mandatory coronavirus tests.
“So far swabs could be taken of 11 animals as it is a bit difficult to obtain their swabs given their ferocious nature,” Zoo Director YK Das told PTI. Zoo at present houses 9 tigers between the age of 1.3 years to 14 years. There are 3 tiger cub siblings of 1.3 years age. In addition, the animals going for RT-PCR test include 4 lions — 2 asiatic and 2 hybrid, officials said.
