8 Lions Test Positive for Coronavirus in Hyderabad
In what is being seen as the first such case in India, eight Asiatic lions have tested positive for the novel coronavirus at a zoo in Hyderabad.
For the 1st time in India, Lions have tested positive for the coronavirus! Let me tell you about it. At the Nehru Zoological Park (NZP) in Hyderabad, Wildlife veterinarians at the zoo noticed coronavirus-like symptoms such as coughing, nasal discharge, and a loss of appetite among some of the lions. Subsequently, their swab samples of 12 lions were taken and sent to the CCMB Lab in Hyderabad. Of the 12 lions at the zoo, four males and four females tested positive. The Hyderabad zoo has remained closed to the public since May 1 following an advisory from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. It is suspected the animals might have contracted the infection from some caretakers at the zoo. In fact, recently, 25 park staff members had tested positive for COVID-19. The Lions have been infected with the old variant and not the new variant. All the lions are recovering and are eating well. This is not the first time animals are getting infected with COVID-19. In April last year, seven tigers and lions had tested positive for the coronavirus at the Bronx Zoo in New York.
