Chennai: Not only humans must show Covid-19 negative certificates when entering India through flights.
The Ministry of Finance instructed customs authorities throughout India to enable animal imports such as cats, lions, leopards and Puma only after they were tested for Covid-19 in the export country, when they were imported.
The instructions were issued on June 30 and must be followed during India still struggling against viral infections, the direction said.
“In this case, regional officers / quarantine officials concerned, quarantine services and certification (AQCS) will publish sophisticated NOC / Final AQCS permits for imported animals mentioned above to India after receiving a negative Covid-19 test report (no more than three day.
old before export), “said the direction.
This direction was important for Chennai because of nine lions tested positive last month at Park Zoology Anna Zoology in the city and two died.
Chennai International Airport is also the only one in the country where many wild cat smuggling incidents to India have been damaged and the animals are confiscated.
There are many other animal seizures too.
In accordance with the technical factor sheet of the world animal health organization, big cats such as tigers, lions, snow and puma leopards and gorillas have a high infection vulnerability to natural Covid-19 infection.
Sources in Chennai Customs say that many expatriates living in or posted to serve to India will bring their pets such as cats and direction for Covid tests will apply to them.
If the customs authority finds a wildlife imported without the required documents, the animal will be sent back to the export state, officials said.
Such animals pose a hazard for local wildlife and can also introduce infections that until now unknown, officials said.