Tiger dies at Ranchi zoo, samples sent for testing
A 10-year-old tiger died at Ranchi’s Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park after suffering from fever on Thursday night, officials said on Friday, adding that the animal tested negative for Covid-19
A 10-year-old tiger died at Ranchi’s Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park after suffering from fever on Thursday night, officials said on Friday, adding that the animal tested negative for Covid-19. However, its samples were being sent for advanced testing.
The park, that was now left with nine tigers, procured Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) kits to test the carnivores for Covid-19. “...we are sending swab, blood samples and (a) lung (of the tiger) to IVRI (Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly) for detailed investigation, and to find out if the animal was infected with any coronavirus like disease,” said O P Sahu, a veterinary doctor at the biological park. He added that the tiger’s blood test suggested liver and kidney infection and its RAT was conducted on Friday morning.
However, RAT has been found to be less accurate than polymerase chain reaction tests, that are considered the gold standard for detecting Covid-19.
The scare of animals being exposed to coronavirus was not new. Earlier this May, eight Asiatic lions at a Hyderabad zoo tested positive for Covid-19. It was the first such instance in the country, prompting the Centre to order closure of all national parks, sanctuaries, and national zoological parks. The infected lions were isolated and have since recovered, while similar cases have been reported from other parts of the country.
In the recent tiger’s death, a four-member veterinary doctors’ team on Friday conducted its postmortem examination. The tiger was brought to Ranchi from Bengaluru’s Bannerghatta Biological Park in November 2014, officials said.
As per available information, the tiger was suffering from fever on Tuesday, that subsided after medication. On Wednesday, the tiger did not eat well. “It did not eat at all on Thursday. Then, we called an expert from Ranchi Veterinary College and a vet from Tata Zoo. We also consulted vets in Hyderabad. The animal was given saline. But, it did not survive,” said the park’s director, Y K Das, adding that the tiger was genetically weak. “It was suffering from health issues. Its liver and kidney were comparatively weak,” he said.
Notably, the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has sent guidelines and advisories to zoos, ranging from prevention to sample collection to detection in suspected cases to safety protocols for animal keepers, amid surge in Covid-19 cases. According to the United States Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, there is currently no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading coronavirus infection to humans. It said in an advisory on its website that more studies were needed to understand if and how different animals can be affected by Sars-CoV-2, and if Covid-19 can spread from people to animals in some situations, especially during close contact.
When asked why a test for the disease was not conducted as per the CZA’s directions, Das said the tiger did not show Covid-19 symptoms. “...we tried to test it for Covid-19, but the test kit was unavailable. Then, we procured it from outside, which was delivered on Thursday night,” he said, adding that the tiger was isolated since the onset of fever. “We have procured 24 test kits and Covid test will be conducted of all carnivores,” Das said.
Praveen Kumar, an assistant professor at Ranchi Veterinary College who examined the tiger, said by the time it could be tested for Covid-19, its condition deteriorated. “We gave saline to the animal with difficulties, as its vein were not found. The Covid test kit was brought but the test could not be conducted on Thursday night, as diluents were missing in the kit,” he said, adding that he does not suspect it to be coronavirus.
Meanwhile, DS Srivastava, a former state wildlife board member, blamed the park for negligence. “The tiger fell seriously sick amid Covid-19 pandemic. Why was the test not done at the first stage? Even if the tiger was not suffering from coronavirus, why it was not given proper treatment from specialist doctors?” he questioned.
