Chennai's Vandalur Zoo loses another young Asiatic lion to COVID-19

CHENNAI: The Vandalur Zoo on Wednesday lost another lion to COVID-19.

A male lion named Pathbanathan, 12, housed in the Lion Safari area of the Arignar Anna Zoological Park died at 10:15 am.

The samples of the lion had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 as per the report of the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, communicated on June 3. The lion was under intensive treatment since then, the press release said.

The zoo on Monday had said: "Of the



fourteen lions presently available with the Zoo, 3 lions are responding to the treatment very slowly. However, all endeavours are being made by the team of zoo veterinarians in coordination with the experts of TANUVAS to ensure that they recover."

All the lions which have tested positive were under close observation and on a prescribed treatment regimen by the in-house veterinary team in close coordination with an expert team from TANUVAS.

A young lioness Neela had died of COVID-19 earlier this month.