Gujarat: Lions monitored by forest department

AHMEDABAD: A running nose, fever, severe body ache, fatigue and other flu-like symptoms have become a cause of worry not only for humans but animals as well.
After a tiger at the Bronx zoo in New York tested positive for respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus, the Gujarat forest department sounded a high alert with regard to the disease spreading in Asiatic lions in Gujarat.
Symptoms of flu are well displayed in big cats, experts say.
Wildlife experts and officials working on lion conservation in Gir and its proximity, point out that the recent deaths of 8-12 lions in the Dhari area is likely due to a disease. “The exact cause of the deaths is not yet known and investigations are on,” they said.
The deaths of as many as 29 lions due to tick-borne babesiosis and the canine distemper virus (CDV) in two months in 2018 had become a major concern for the authorities and wildlife experts.
With the tiger at Bronx zoo becoming the first case recorded instance of a human infecting an animal and making it sick, Gujarat forest department authorities are making all-round efforts to ensure the lions are protected from this highly contagious disease.
The chances of Gujarat lions being infected with Covid-19 are very low as they live in the wild, unlike the tiger at the New York zoo, said a forest official. “There is little scope for any close encounter between humans and the lions. As far as animals in captivity are concerned, all Central Zoo Authorities (CZA) guidelines will be strictly followed. The caretaker of the tiger in Bronx zoo was infected with Covid-19,” a state forest official said.
“Apart from precautions at Sakarbaug Zoo in Junagadh, the forest department team involved in the monitoring and surveillance of Asiatic lions have been put on an alert. We have asked them to keep close watch on animals found to be coughing or having a running nose or fever,” said D Vasavada, chief conservator of forests, Junagadh.
If a lion is unwell or suffering from a cold or fever, it will isolate itself and sit still, he explained.
Like humans, lions also give up their food when sick, indicating that something is wrong with their health, Vasavada added.
A senior forest official involved in surveillance said that by Tuesday evening a total check of all the animals in the wild is likely to be completed and animals will be brought in for treatment if required. He said that usually, on seeing a beat guard, the animal tries to intimidate him, but when it is sick it behaves differently, allowing the guard to inspect it. Their skin colour also changes and turns pale when a big cat is unwell, he added.