Team Goemkarponn
PONDA: Goa’s only zoological park, located within the Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, has been temporarily closed to the public following a suspected viral outbreak that led to the deaths of three civet cats and two jungle cats. The fatalities occurred between March 6 and 9, but the official quarantine order for the zoo was only issued on March 30. As a result, the zoo has been closed to visitors since April 1.
In accordance with the Central Zoo Authority’s guidelines, precautionary measures, including a 15-day quarantine, must be implemented when more than one animal death is reported.
Despite the seriousness of the incident, Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane expressed concern that he had not been informed by departmental officials about the zoo’s closure. “I have sought an explanation and will take action against the officer concerned. I will also request the Chief Minister to take immediate action,” Rane said in response to the oversight.
In the aftermath of the deaths, samples from the affected animals were sent to a laboratory in Bhopal for further analysis. As of now, no new deaths have been reported, officials confirmed.
The authorities are awaiting the results of the tests to determine the cause of the outbreak and hope the situation will be contained soon.
