28 elephants tested for coronavirus at Mudumalai camp in Ooty

UDHAGAMANDALAM: Swabs of 28 captive elephants at a camp in the district on Tuesday have been taken for testing, days after a lioness succumbed to COVID-19 and nine others in the pride tested positive for the infection at a Zoo in Chennai.

Forest minister K Ramachandran ordered samples to be collected from all the elephants and send them to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute at Izatnagar, Uttar Pradesh for testing, forest department sources said.

Accordingly, samples of all the 28 elephants at the Mudumalai camp near here were taken till noon, after making them lie on one side and removing the swabs from trunk and mouth,the sources said.

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The testing is being done after a lioness at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park at Vandalur in Chennai died due to coronavirus on Thursday, and nine of the 11 in the park tested positive for COVID-19.

A total of 52 mahouts and 27 kavadis (assistant to mahouts) at the camp have been vaccinated against Covid-19.

Meanwhile, the feeding time of the elephants has been staggered and the mahouts and kavadis are allowed to enter only after checking their temperature, the sources added.