UDHAGAMANDALAM: Swab samples were taken for Covid tests from 56 captive elephants housed at the Theppakadu elephant camp in the
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve
(MTR) and the Kozhikamuthy elephant camp at Topslip in
Anamalai Tiger Reserve
(ATR) on Tuesday.
The Covid testing for the camp elephants was ordered by forest minister K Ramachandran after nine of the 11 lions in the Arignar Anna Zoological Park at Vandalur in Chennai tested positive for the virus.
Swab samples were lifted from all the 28 elephants in the Theppakadu camp.
Field director of MTR K K Kaushal said, “The samples will be sent to the Indian Vet Research Institute (IVRI), Izzatnagar, UP, for coronavirus testing.”
Kaushal said 52 mahouts and kavadies at the camps are being vaccinated on a priority basis.
At Kozhikamuthy camp, the forest minister inspected the exercise of collecting the samples from the elephants. All 28 elephants including 18 tuskers underwent the test.
Deputy director of ATR S Arokiaraj said all the mahouts and their family members numbering 196 were vaccinated.
Ramachandran handed over a sum of Rs 3.5 lakh towards compensation to the family of a victim who was attacked and killed by a jumbo last April.
He also distributed uniforms and Covid guard kits to the forest field staff in ATR.
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