RANCHI: The management of Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Biological Park has issued a directive to all its cage-keeping and zoo staff to abstain from coming to work if they are ill.
The zoo has close to 50 cage-keepers and gardeners working on contractual basis.
Four of them had recently tested positive for Covid.
The directive, issued by park director Y K Das, came after a 10-year-old male tiger Shiva died days after developing fever and loss of appetite.
The four-page directive has also asked the zoo staff to abstain from consuming tobacco products on the park’s premises.
Sources in the park management said the directives were issued to prevent any Covid outbreak among the park’s animals.
Notably, the swab and blood samples of the dead tiger and 21 other big cats, including nine tigers, four lions, seven leopards and a black panther, have been sent to Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly (UP), for RT-PCR tests.
“All the animals will have to be medically examined at least once a month.
The cage-keepers have been directed to inspect their gait, the shine in their coat, look out for parasites or infection and damages to their tooth, nails or paws during these check-ups,” Das said.
Special emphasis will be given on their diet and sanitation as cage keepers have been directed to disinfect the enclosures every day, he added.
The park management also came under scrutiny after a 10-year-old female sloth bear was attacked and killed by a 12-year-old male bear during mating on June 5 evening.
Sources said no additional cage-keepers were deployed around the bear enclosure to prevent such an incident.
Now, under pressure, the park management has asked its cage-keepers to take necessary steps to separate two warring animals with doctors’ consent.
“If a cage-keeper is found guilty of dereliction in duty, he can be fired,” the directive has stated.