Guidelines issued to tiger reserves

In a separate set of guidelines issued for tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries, the Wildlife Division of Union Ministry of Environment and Forests instructed states that “it is felt that there are possibilities of spread of virus among animals in national parks, sanctuaries, tiger reserves and also transmission from humans to animals and vice-versa.”

It called for a round-theclock monitoring and reporting mechanism about any animal health issues noticed in protected areas and instructed officials to minimise human presence in such forests.

These instructions will be applicable to the Amrabad and Kawal tiger reserves in Telangana state and the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam tiger reserve in Andhra Pradesh

and all wildlife sanctuaries in the two states as well as rest of the country.

Director, zoo parks, Telangana, Dr Sidhanand Kukrety told Deccan Chronicle that the Nehru Zoological Park in the city has probably one of the cleanest landscapes and has been fully sanitized thrice so far.

“We have twice a day animal health checks and all staff have masks, gloves and hand sanitizers. Most staff live in residential quarters by the zoo, so there are very few who need to commute and this means less exposure to possibility of contracting the disease. As of now, all animal keepers and others at the zoo are in good health. We are providing lunch for all so they do not have to go back home in the middle. They are working in batches and everything is under control,” he said.