HYDERABAD: Nehru Zoo Park goes on high alert after Thailand tiger deaths
HYDERABAD: The Nehru Zoological Park has declared a high alert after 72 tigers died at a private zoo in Thailand due to a suspected viral outbreak.
Zoo authorities have stepped up preventive measures across animal enclosures, particularly in tiger habitats. Protocols followed during the Covid-19 pandemic are being reimplemented.
Staff have begun removing old sand from tiger enclosures and replacing it with fresh sand. Walls are being whitewashed and sodium hypochlorite solution is being sprayed around rooms and visitor areas as a precaution.
Curator J. Vasantha directed veterinary officials to intensify monitoring and sanitation. “We are spraying disinfectants in enclosures and visitor centres. Immunity-boosting medicines are also being administered to birds,” officials said.
The Thailand zoo, which attracts tourists from across the world, reported that all 72 tigers died suddenly following the spread of an unidentified virus, according to local authorities there.
Mandrills arrive from Jamshedpur
In a separate development, the zoo will soon house two male mandrills, known for their distinctive facial markings. The animals were brought a week ago from Tata Steel Zoological Park as part of an animal exchange programme.
In return, Nehru Zoo has sent one male and one female African lion to the Jamshedpur zoo.
