Samples of lion, owls from Delhi zoo test negative for COVID-19

The samples of a lion and two owls from Delhi zoo have tested negative for COVID-19, informed officials on Saturday.

"Six samples of a lion and two owls tested negative for COVID-19 as per the report received from IVRI Bareilly," said National Zoological Park officials.

Samples of some of the animals including a lion had been sent to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly for testing of COVID-19 infection.

Director National Zoological Park, Ramesh Pandey had said that he has been getting messages about COVID-19 (SARS COV-2) in animals of various Zoos and action regarding the matter being taken in the National Zoological Park.

Pandey had informed that the drills of sanitisation never stopped in National Zoological Park after the COVID-19 outbreak.

Earlier, two lionesses have tested positive for COVID-19 at Etawah Safari Park in Uttar Pradesh. Besides this, eight Asiatic lions housed in the Nehru Zoological Park (NZP) Hyderabad have tested positive for SARS-CoV2 virus.

( With inputs from ANI )