Lion Safari taking no chances in war on corona

KANPUR: Canine distemper, caused by a virus, had nearly derailed the entire Lion Safari project in Etawah from 2014 onwards, claiming the lives of five big cats and five cubs in just 16 months.

The safari administration is again deeply worried after the corona virus infected a lion in the United States and it doesn’t want a virus playing havoc again.

The Etawah Lion Safari, a major tourist attraction, has 17 lions roaming on 150 acres of land, which used to be inhospitable, and 100 other animals.

“We are taking some extreme measures to protect our lions now from Covid-19. The safari was the first in the country to shut down for the visitors on March 18 last,” said VK Singh, director of the Lion Safari.

Before the shutdown, the safari was getting 500 visitors each day. The number used to go up to 2000 on holidays.

To check the transmission of Covid-19 in animals, particularly the lions, not a single vehicle can enter the safari without being sanitized currently.

“Even if it means our own vehicles; the food transporting trucks will be the priority. The vehicles are being properly sanitised at the gate and going through a tyre bath,” said Singh.

Those in the vehicles would also have to go through the sanitisation process. They have to wash their hands and use sanitiser at the gates, he said. Anyone with flu-like symptoms is not allowed entry.

“We are screening all the employees on a regular basis and they have been strictly told to inform us in case they have any such symptoms,” he said.

The employees who spend their time in close proximity with the animals at the lion breeding centre, the animal house number one and two of the Asiatic lion and leopard quarantine house are given special protective dress-gumboot, face mask, hand-gloves and head covers.

After duty, they are required to change their dress and to deposit

protective gear for sanitisation before going home.

Tissue papers provided to them during work hours were incinerated afterwards, he added.

Every staff member has to clean his hands with alcoholbased handwash or with antiseptic soap before going to the kitchen and the enclosures of antelopes and deer.

Blowtorch is being used once a week at the lion breeding centre and the animal house numbers one and two.

In addition, whole campus was being disinfected thrice a day, Singh said.

The canine distemper virus had threatened to eliminate the entire population of Asiatic lions at the Rs 100-crore safari. Three years of hard work and consultation from wildlife experts from Australia, Britain and the United States helped the safari administration overcome the problem. Meanwhile, since the Kanpur Zoological Garden (zoo) has nine tigers, five lions and 23 leopards, zoo director Sunil Chaudhari administration has issued a health advisory against the Covid-19.

“The advisory to keep the animals free from the corona menace is being enforced with all strictness,” said Dr R K Singh, the chief veterinary officer of the zoo.