Following the guidelines of the Central Government, Rajaji National Park has sent samples of an elephant calf to Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) Bareilly to check for COVID-19. According to the Rajaji director Amit Verma, one of the trained elephants in Rajaji was suffering for about a month from elephant pox. However, considering the COVID-19 pandemic, the pachyderm’s sample has been sent to IVRI for tests as a precautionary measure. The samples of a leopard found dead some days ago have also been sent to the institute to check for COVID-19.
It will be recalled that after a tiger in a New York zoo had tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, the Ministry of Environment and Forests had issued advisory to all states regarding the monitoring of wild animals in zoos and protected areas for any abnormal behaviour or symptoms of the disease. The sample report of the elephant is expected on Monday.