In a bid to protect tigers, India’s national animal, the country has set up its first quarantine facility. The danger of animals being susceptible to Coronavirus has led authorities to prepare a safe haven for the wild ones. By Upasana Singh
India’s oldest national park Jim Corbett, located in the Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand has built 10 isolation wards for animals. The development has been put in motion after the devastating news of a four-year-old female Malayan tiger at New York City’s Bronx Zoo was tested positive for Coronavirus. This is believed to be the first known case of an animal infected with the virus in the United States.
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The isolation wards located in the Kalagarh and Bijrani ranges of the reserve will contain animals showing cold and cough symptoms. Indian authorities have installed 40 video-mode cameras and 450 still-mode cameras at the peripheries of the national park. The intensive video surveillance is meant to keep an eye on any abnormal behaviour among tigers, elephants, and other wildlife.
The reserve staff has been asked not to vacate the premises and stay put at their posts. They are being provided with essentials to prevent putting the animals at risk and possibly infecting caretakers. The patrolling staff has also been briefed about the new preventive measures and their duty to keep a tab on the animals of the reserve.
Jim Corbett’s Wildlife Medical Officer, Dr Dushyant, stated that animals, especially tigers, are less susceptible to getting affected in the forest areas. However, if animals that live near the human population come in contact with an infected person, they may easily get infected.
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In an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to tigers through human beings, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) recently issued a direction that all workers in contact with tigers and elephants should get tested for the novel Coronavirus.
Home to 250 tigers and 1,100 elephants, Jim Corbett is known for its walking safaris and treks. Established in 1936, it is India’s first national park that is frequently visited by wildlife enthusiasts. The government’s decision to take precautionary measures for saving the reserve’s animals is a crucial step in the global battle against Coronavirus.
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