No Covid-19 test for tiger cub: Nagpur college returns samples, asks the forest department to approach approved lab

The Nagpur Veterinary College (NVC) on Tuesday sent back swab samples of a three-month-old tiger cub suspected of having Covid-19, without testing them.

The Nagpur Veterinary College (NVC) on Tuesday sent back swab samples of a three-month-old tiger cub suspected of having Covid-19, without testing them.

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NVC asked the forest department to approach institutes approved by the Centre for animal testing in India. “We realised that it is ethically incorrect to perform the Covid-19 test for the wild animal since we do not have the Centre’s approval. In such circumstances, the samples need to be sent to the closest approved institute, and this has been conveyed to the forest department,” said Dr AP Somkuwar, associate dean, NVC.

The college is planning to get approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to be designated as an approved institute for further animal testing in Maharashtra.

HT reported on Monday that swab samples of the female cub, rescued from paddy fields in Mul taluka of Chandrapur district, were collected on April 28 by the forest department after concerns of improper protective equipment during the rescue and initial ill health of the cub. Samples were sent to NVC after it was suspected that the cub might be the first case of a wild animal in Maharashtra contracting the virus. The test results were expected on Tuesday.

The cub is currently being kept at a transit treatment centre in Chandrapur and is healthy, said officials.

NVC’s last-minute decision left the forest department in a lurch. “If this was the case, the college could have informed us much earlier. During the lockdown, it is difficult to get permissions and interstate transportation. However, the process will begin immediately,” said AL Sonkusare, divisional forest officer (territorial), Chandrapur.

SV Ramarao, chief conservator of forest, Chandrapur said, “The final decision will be taken by the chief wildlife warden as he is the nodal authority.”

After the first confirmed case of a tiger testing positive for Covid-19 in New York was reported on April 5, three animal institutes were approved by the Centre for Covid-19 animal testing — National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal; National Research Centre on Equines in Hisar, Haryana, and Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.

Nitin Kakodkar, principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife), Maharashtra said, “Following NVC’s decision. we have decided to send the swab samples to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal. We are working on the permissions for inter state transport. Once all permissions are in place, the samples will be sent. In the meantime, the cub will remain in the transit treatment centre at Chandrapur, and efforts to runite her with her mother are put on hold till we get the results.”