India Sees Coronavirus Threat to Fragile Population: Tigers

When thinking about the coronavirus these days, it does not seem like other species could be at risk. However, since the disease allegedly transferred between species from bat to human, there is every chance of this being the case. This was found out when a tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York tested positive for coronavirus.

This news was unsettling in India, where there are 2,967 wild tigers, three quarters of the world's total remaining non-captive population. With a tiger already dead for other medical reasons, India's 50 tiger preserves were already on high alert. Upon hearing about the tiger in New York, their concern grew. Much of their concerns comes from the fragile state of India's tiger population, likely causing an overabundance in caution when protecting the species.

Now wildlife preserves with tigers have been advised to limit the amount of people allowed to enter and all tigers will be monitored for respiratory issues. So far, there have been no behavioral changes in the tigers that would indicate coronavirus, but the parks are still cautious. And even with the entire country of India on lockdown since March 24, many wildlife workers have to remain on the job.

In China, there have been tests that say the virus reproduced efficiently with domestic cats, though these theories have not been subjected to peer review. Meanwhile, it is still unclear on how the virus could affect large wild cats.

India Sees Coronavirus Threat to Fragile Population: Tigers