Combating COVID-19: Dehradun zoo increases layer of sanitisation for animal feed

Following the new guidelines issued by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), the local zoo authority has reduced its number of staff and doubled the layer of sanitisation of animal feed.

Dr Rakesh Kumar Nautiyal, Medical officer of Dehradun Zoo, told ANI: "Following the guidelines, we have reduced the number of staff here to one fourth of the total number."

He also said that the zoo staff is not allowed to have any outside contact and food has been arranged for them.

"We have three stages of sanitising the animal feed coming from outside -- water sanitise, normal sanitise and then dipping them in KMnO4 solution," Nautiyal said.

Speaking on the recent incident of a tiger housed at the Bronx Zoo in New York testing positive for coronavirus, Nautiyal said: "In a zoo, the bio-security is of utmost importance. I don't know how the tiger got tested for the coronavirus.