Tirupati: Steps against Coronavirus intensified in SV Zoo Park

Tirupati: After a tiger housed in the Bronx Zoo, New York, was confirmed positive for Covid-19, the Central Zoo Authority has also plunged into action and issued an advisory to all the Zoos in the country to remain on highest alertness, watch animals round-the-clock using CCTV for any abnormal behaviour or symptoms.

Accordingly, the authorities at SV Zoological Park in Tirupati also stepped up various preventive measures. Zoo Curator M Babitha said that the cleaning and sterilisation of night houses has been taken up on daily basis using disinfectant Asiphor and Virucide Kohrsolin.

Regular cleaning of enclosures, dusting with lime and bleaching powder, spraying with a mixture of butox and Kohrsolin is also being done.

Yearly vaccination against protozoan parasites, feline distemper virus, bronchi rhino trichitis are being addressed promptly and deworming schedule once in two months is being followed scrupulously, Babitha said and added sterilisation of feed with saltwater and hot water treatment were done to avoid contamination. Foot baths with potassium permanganate solution are maintained at each night house to regulate infections if any.

She said all the animal keepers were screened against zoonotic diseases one-month ago and daily screening of animal keepers is also done at entry gate by using digital thermometers and physical screening. Those who are coming from infected areas were asked not to attend to duties till further instructions. They were also provided with protective gear like gumboots, apron, masks and dettol.

Awareness programmes are being conducted on regular basis to the animal keepers and they are being made to change into clean disinfected clothes before entering the enclosures. All the staff working in the zoo were given a 3-week dose of prophylactic homeopathic medicine against Covid-19, the Curator said.