Nine lions of Tamilnad’s Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Vandalur have been found corona positive. Its genome sequence showed that four out of these nine infected lions contained the delta variant B.1.617.2 of the Pangolin lineage. On May 11, WHO defined B.1.617.2 lineage as a delta variant. The zoo had sent samples of 11 lions to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) Bhopal for SARS CoV-2 test.
Bhopal Institute has said that SARS CoV-2 has been found in four out of nine lion samples from Tamil Nadu Zoo. According to a statement issued by the zoo, genome sequencing of samples taken from infected lions showed that the delta form is present in them. Significantly, the delta variant can infect other animals very rapidly, so extra caution is being taken.
Two lions had died of corona, the zoo administration sent samples of 11 lions to Bhopal’s ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) for examination. After this, on June 3, the institute had told that corona infection has been detected in the samples of nine lions. After this, the Director of NIHSAD informed that the genome sequencing of the samples sent by Anna Zoo was done, analysis of which revealed that the delta form of corona was found in the samples of four of these lions. Earlier this month, a nine-year-old lioness Naila and a 12-year-old lion named Pathabanathan died of corona earlier this month.
Officials of the Sri Lanka Zoological Park have sought help from India after a lion was found corona infected in the zoo. Wickremesinghe, head of the National Zoological Park, said he is in touch with the Central Zoo Authority of India for the treatment of an 11-year-old lion named ‘Thor’. We are treating the lion by keeping it aside. This lion was brought to Colombo Zoo from the zoo in Seoul city of South Korea in 2013.