Sumatran tigers at Jakarta zoo recovering from coronavirus

Tino, one of the two Sumatran tigers that recovered from COVID-19, rests at Ragunan Zoo in Jakarta, Indonesia July 31, 2021 in this still image taken from social media video recorded July 31, 2021. Jakarta Capital City Government/via REUTERS

REUTERS

Two Sumatran tigers at an Indonesian zoo were recovering from COVID-19 after they tested positive in mid-July, the Jakarta government said in a statement on Sunday, adding that authorities were trying to find out how they were infected.

Tino, a 9-year old tiger, and Hari, a 12-year old, were tested for coronavirus after both showed flu-like symptoms, had trouble breathing and lost their appetite, the statement said.

The tigers had undergone around 10 to 12 days of treatment and were gradually showing signs of recovery, Jakarta's Head of the Parks and City Forest Office, Suzi Marsitawati, said.

"Their appetites have returned and they are back to being active," Suzi said, although both tigers remain under close observation.

She said authorities are doing tracking and tracing to figure out how the tigers were infected.

"When the animals started to show symptoms, the Ragunan zoo was already closed due to emergency mobility restrictions," Suzi said, referring to the Jakarta zoo.

She added that none of the caretakers and workers had tested positive with coronavirus around the time the animals were infected.

Indonesia has suffered the worst coronavirus infection in Southeast Asia with over 3.4 million infections and more than 94,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Reporting by Nilufar Rizki, Writing by Fransiska Nangoy; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan