Four lions of Vandalur Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Chennai found infected with the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant of COVID-19."The director ICAR-NIHSAD informed Genome sequencing of 4 of the samples was done at NIHSAD, Bhopal. Analysis of the sequences shows that all the 4 sequences belong to Pangolin lineage B.1.617.2 and are Delta variants as per WHO nomenclature," an official from the release Arignar Anna Zoological Park read.On June 3, NIHSAD, Bhopal, confirmed that nine lions tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and since then, the animals are under active treatment.
The zoological park authorities had requested ICAR-National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases, which also researches emerging and exotic pathogens in animals, to share the results of genome sequencing of the SARS CoV-2 virus that has infected the lions. On May 11, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified B.1.617.2 lineage as a variant of concern (VOC). It further added that it showed evidence of higher transmissibility and reduced neutralisation. A few days ago, a 12-year-old Asiatic lion who was treated for Covid-19 died in the safari area of the Arignar Anna Zoological Park near Vandalur in Chennai. This was the second tragedy that struck the zoo as it lost a nine-year-old lioness due to coronavirus on June 3 and in total, seven lions of the 14, were infected.