Authorities at the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary have launched a sanitising and health check-up drive of its resident animals across the 192sqkm elephant abode after a directive from the Centre earlier this week.

The ministry of environment, forest and climate change (wildlife division) has issued an advisory on containing and management of Covid-19 in national parks, sanctuaries and tiger reserves.

The directive was issued after a Malayan tiger, Nadia, in New York City’s Bronx Zoo tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 or the novel coronavirus.

A state forest department official said that the advisory is being implemented across Jharkhand, including the Dalma sanctuary.

Besides spraying of disinfectants inside the enclosure that hosts the 73-odd chitals and sambars and three domesticated elephants, health check-up of bovines at the 85 villages in Dalma are also being undertaken in right earnest.

C.M.P. Sinha, Dalma divisional forest officer, said they were conducting the drive and trying to cover all the villages.

“Daily health reports of the bovines are also being prepared as per the directive,” Sinha said.

The health check-up of bovines is being done in phases since it is difficult to cover all the villages at the same time. Two government vets are completing the formalities in the presence of Dalma authorities.

Dalma range officer Dinesh Chandra is supervising the sanitising drive and health check-up in both East and West forest ranges of the sanctuary, spraying disinfectants at the animal enclosures and on the three domesticated female elephants and carrying out regular health check- up of bovines.

“We were already sanitising the elephants at Makulakocha village but the exercise has now been extended to the herbivore enclosure,” said Chandra.

“Potassium permanganate is being sprayed along the boundary of the enclosure as well as the nearby areas of the jumbo shelters. Caretakers are instructed to wear masks and gloves while spraying disinfectants.”

According to the advisory, there are possibilities of the spread of the virus among animals and transmission of virus from humans to animals. This can be checked by reducing human-wildlife interface, restricting the movement of people to national parks/sanctuaries and tiger reserves, constituting a task force with field managers, veterinary doctors, and frontline staff to manage the situation fast, and creating a 24/7 reporting mechanism with a nodal officer for swift management of any cases noticed.

The Dalma sanctuary, 30km from the steel city, is out of bounds for tourists.