Corbett National Park provides India's first quarantine facility for animals

New Delhi, April 13: Following the humans, the threat of coronavirus is now hovering over wildlife. However, to curb the spread of the virus from humans to animals, India's oldest National Park Jim Corbett, located in the Nainital district, Uttarakhand, has provided quarantine facilities for animals.

 

 

 

"At least 10 quarantine centers are being prepared within the premises to contain animals. We are also holding talks on converting the cages built for wild animals into a quarantine facility," R.K. Tiwari, the warden of National Park said.

 

The officials of the Park have taken preventive measures by rigorously monitoring through video surveillance. "Any animal with symptoms will be quarantined, the cameras installed in the vicinity of the national park will record the cold and cough symptoms of animals," he said.

 

On the other hand, the medical officer of the Park, Dr. Dushyant has informed that there is a risk of animals, especially tigers, getting infected in forest areas. "However, if the animals which live near the human population come into contact with an infected person or thing, then they might get infected too," he said.

 

Earlier, it was reported that the officials have decided to convert the 10 rescue centers into quarantine centers. "If symptoms of coronavirus infection are found in tigers or any wild animals, they will be quarantined immediately," he further added.

 

Jim Corbett which was named after tiger hunter turned conservationist Jim Corbett, is one of the favorite tiger destinations in the country. It has rich biodiversity including around 110 tree species, 50 species of mammals, 580 bird species, 33 species of reptiles, and seven species of amphibians. The park extends over 1288 sq km spread over three districts of Uttarakhand, Pauri Garhwal, Nainital, and Almora.

 

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), however, to take mitigate the spread of the virus from humans to tigers has recently issued a direction that all authorities coming in contact with tigers and elephants should be tested for the virus. It has also asked the parks to immediately inform about the animals falling ill.

 

The NTCA has alerted the country’s sanctuaries, forests, and zoos after the infection were detected in a Malayan tiger in the United States. The officers and staff of the forest department are taking great caution about this. This week there was a tiger death in US's Bronx zoo due to the virus