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10 quarantine camps to come up at Corbett Tiger Reserve
The move is prompted by news that a tiger at the Bronx zoo tested positive for Covid-19, although it is reported that the big cat was infected by its keeper -- not a problem for animals in the wild. Corbett Tiger Reserve has around 260 tigers , according to forest officials.
The Uttarakhand forest department will set up 10 quarantine facilities at its rescue centres in Corbett Tiger Reserve to house tigers or other animals that contract the coronavirus disease in the reserve known to have one of the highest concentration of the tigers in the world.
The move is prompted by news that a tiger at the Bronx zoo tested positive for Covid-19, although it is reported that the big cat was infected by its keeper -- not a problem for animals in the wild. Corbett Tiger Reserve has around 260 tigers , according to forest officials.
Still, there are many villages and towns in the Corbett landscape, where people have contracted COVID-19 or are suspected patients, said Dr Dushyant Sharma, senior veterinary doctor at CTR .
“So the risk of coronavirus infection among tigers or elephants or any other wildlife that lives in the Corbett landscape is a possibility. As a precautionary measure, we have decided to convert our 10 rescue centres into quarantine centres here. If symptoms of coronavirus infection are found in tigers or any wild animals, they will be quarantined immediately.” .
Sharma said thermal, CCTV and camera traps are being used to monitor the wildlife .
“According to NTCA ( National Tiger Conversation Authority) guidelines, regular checkups of forest staff, elephant and sniffer dog handlers will be done to ensure they are not infected with coronavirus infection and create the possibility of the virus jumping from humans to wild animals”, he said.
“We have received PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for medical staff and essential things for wildlife treatment”, he said.
CTR officials said that the forest field staff, 32 elephant handlers and eight dog handlers are staying within the reserve itself. “We have closed the gates and are ensuring minimum possible movement in and out of the park”, he said.
CTR has decided that the 16 patrolling elephantsit uses will be fed forest produce such as bamboo and other leaves instead of sugarcane bought from the local markets to lessen the chance of elephants coming in contact with the virus .
Corbett , named after tiger hunter turned conservationist Jim Corbett, is one of the favourite tiger destinations in the country for big cat watching. It has a 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 kms spread over three districts of Uttarakhand , Pauri Garhwal, Nainital and Almora.
AK Nayak, member of NTCA said the body wasn’t aware that quarantine centres were being set up. “We had asked all states to watch for Covid-19 symptoms in tigers, but haven’t hard from any states yet.”
Nayak also pointed to two tigers being found killed in Annamali Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu. It is believed they were poisoned, either by poachers, or by local residents.
