Monitor big cats for Covid-19, staff of tiger reserves told
JAIPUR: Authorities of tiger reserves have directed the field staff to remain alert against coronavirus and monitor the big cats round the clock.
The alertness was sounded as the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) issued guidelines to all tiger reserves and zoos after a tiger in the US tested positive for Sars-cov2.
In a letter to all chief wildlife wardens (CWC), CZA states that the US department of agriculture’s National Veterinary Service Laboratories on April 5 confirmed SARS-COV2 (virus for Covid-19) in a tiger housed in Bronx Zoo, New York.
“Zoos in the country are therefore advised to remain on highest alertness, watch animal 24x7, and use CCTV for abnormal behavior. The keepers should not be allowed to be in the vicinity of animals without safety gear, preferably Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). They should isolate and quarantine sick animals, and should have least contact while providing feed to animals,” states the letter.
CZA member secretary SP Yadav said, “Carnivores such as cat, ferret and primates are to be carefully monitored and samples of suspect cases should be sent fortnightly to animal institutes for testing.”
The authorities of t i ger reserves of Ranthambore (Sawai Madhopur), Sariska (Alwar) and Mukundra (Kota) have directed the staff: “Do not spit or urinate in the jungle or visit water holes. Take special care of water holes, which are filled by tankers; the drivers should sanitise themselves and then start working.”
Yadav said all zoos have been told to coordinate with designated nodal agencies of government responsible for public health response and permit screening, testing and surveillance, and diagnostic samples as and when require.
NTCA has issued a six-point advisory to all CWCS and tiger range states to take steps so that tigers do not contract the diseas.
“Owing to the communicable and zoonotic nature of Covid-19, steps need to be taken to avert the disease in wild tigers in India,” assistant inspector general of forest (NTCA) Vaibhav C Mathur said in a letter.
He said, “The frontline staff and veterinary officials engaged in monitoring tiger mortality in areas should be geared to detect the disease and prevent any spread in tigers in the wild. Being a notifiable disease, any positive case needs to be reported immediately to NTCA.”
Rajasthan CWC Arindam Tomar said the guidelines of CZA and NTCA have been sent to all districts, tiger reserves and zoos for compliance.
NTCA GUIDELINES
1. Tigers may be observed for symptoms consistent with Covid-19, such as respiratory signs of nasal discharge, coughing and laboured breathing through direct observation to the extent possible, besides through camera trap images for visible symptoms.
2. It should be ensured that personnel handling tigers in human-tiger negative interactions and translocation operations be ascertained to be coronavirus negative.
3. Diligence needs to be exercised while handling post-mortem cases to record location, age and sex of the animal, while collecting samples for coronavirus diagnosis in consultation with the state veterinary officials while safeguarding oneself through appropriate PPE.
4. As coronavirus is known to affect gastrointestinal system in felines, requisite correlation may be made for characterising the virus type in consultation with the state veterinary department.
5. Differential diagnosis with feline infectious rhino-tracheitis needs to be made as similar respiratory symptoms may be observed.
6. For Covid-19 diagnosis as well as differential diagnoses and characterisation as highlighted above, samples may be sent to Icar-approved laboratories as per enclosure.
TIGER RESERVES AND ZOOS IN RAJASTHAN Rajasthan has t hree t i ger reserves -- Ranthambore (Sawai Madhopur) with 65 big cats; Sariska (Alwar) with 16 and Mukundra Hills (Kota) with four. All tigers at Mukundra reserve are collared, five at Sariska and none at Ranthambore. The state has three biological parks at Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaipur; and two zoos at Bikaner and Kota.