The Etawa Lion Safari, a major tourist place has taken extreme steps to protect the lions and other inmates there.
The Safari spread over 350 acres of land has 17 lions and over one hundred other animals including leopards, deer and antelopes.
The Safari was the first in the country to shut down for the visitors on March 18 last said the director of the Lion Safari VK Singh.
Before the shut down the Safari was getting 500 visitors each day. The number got up to 2000 on holidays he said.
To check the transmission of Covid-19 in animals particularly the lions not a single vehicle can enter the safari without being sanitized at present. Vehicles would have to go through tyre bath. Those in the vehicle would be examined for any ailment and would be allowed to enter after getting their hands washed and sanitized, Singh said.
In case, any employee has the symptoms of sneezing or cold, he would have to inform the authority concerned. Employees who spend their time in close proximity with the animals at the lion breeding centre, the animal house number one and two of the Asiatic Lion and leopard quarantine house are given special protective dresses gumboot, face mask, hand-gloves and cap. After the duty was over, they would have to change the dress and to deposit it before going home and the used tissue papers would be destroyed by putting them in incinerator, he added.
Employees were asked to wash hands with alcohol mixed handwash or with antiseptic soap before going to the kitchen and the enclosures of antelope, beer and deer. Blowtorch is used once in the week at the lion breeding center, animal house number one and two of Asiatic Lion ,and the quarantine house for leopards. Besides, the whole campus would be disinfected thrice a day Singh said.
Besides, several other intensive measures were introduced at the park to protect the inmates. Reason: the park has not forgotten the pain it had due to the death of its nine lions during the year 2014 to 2017 due to canine distemper disease.
