4 lions found infected with Delta variant of COVID-19 in Chennai zoo.

At least four lions at a zoo in India’s southern state of tamil nadu were found infected with the Delta variant of COVID-19, officials said on Saturday. 

“Nine lions housed at Vandalur Arignar Anna Zoological Park here tested positive for COVID-19 on June 3. Genome sequencing of the samples of four of these lions was then done by Indian Council of Agricultural Research- National Institute of  High Security Animal Diseases(ICAR-NIHSAD) and as per the result report of genome sequencing done at NIHSAD, Bhopal, all four samples were infected with the Delta or B.1.617.2 variant of COVID-19,” an official said. 

The local government of tamil Nadu on Friday constituted a state-level task force to provide support and guidance to authorities on the prevention and mitigation of COVID-19 infection in wild and captive animals in tiger reserves, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forest.