PTR sets up quarantine centre for tigers

LUCKNOW: The Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) authorities have set up a quarantine centre for tigers and other wild animals in case they test Covid-19 positive, according to officials.

The step has been taken after two lionesses tested Covid-19 positive at the Etawah Lion Safari in Uttar Pradesh and eight lions were found infected with the coronavirus at the Hyderabad zoo in Telangana earlier in the week. The Pilibhit Tiger Reserve is located on the IndoNepal border in the western UP district of Pilibhit and it has become a prime habitat for the national animal in Uttar Pradesh in the last few years.

More than 60 tigers are estimated to be living in PTR, which has a very narrow buffer zone. Beside tigers, the reserve has a sizeable population of leopards.

Fifty cameras were deployed to monitor the health of the tigers in the tiger reserve, forest officials said.

“Considering the spread of Covid-19 infection in wild animals, we have set up 50 cameras across the reserve to monitor the health of tigers in the reserve and identify any signs of the infection in them. We have also set up a quarantine centre where animals can be quarantined for few days,” said Naveen Khandelwal, deputy director of PTR.

“We are also following the guidelines issued by the NTCA (National Tiger Conservation Authority) regarding the pandemic. The Covid-19 situation in the nearby areas is also being monitored closely,” he added.

PTR officials have made arrangements for additional cages and other medical facilities at the quarantine centre.

“We are in a position to keep the quarantined animal for few days and monitor its health. We can also shift the animal to a higher centre if needed,” Khandelwal said. PTR has already closed the movement of visitors inside the reserve and formed a dedicated team to monitor the health of wild animals, especially the big cats.

“We are also keeping an eye on big cats, who venture out of the reserve into areas close to human habitation,” the official said.

While there are no immediate plans test the tigers in PTR for Covid-19, officials said that such an exercise could be undertaken for tigers showing symptoms of infection.

“It is not feasible to test healthy animals in their habitat, but arrangements can be made for testing specific animals showing symptoms of infection,” they said.