Bengaluru: Seven leopard cubs at the Bannerghatta Biological Park in Bengaluru have lost their lives due to a highly contagious virus, officials have confirmed.
The virus responsible for this outbreak is feline panleukopenia (FP), caused by the feline parvovirus, with kittens being the most severely affected.
The initial outbreak of this viral disease was reported on August 22.
The cubs aged between three and eight months had all been vaccinated but succumbed to the illness during their treatment.
AV Surya Sen, the Executive Director of Bannerghatta Biological Park, noted that despite the vaccination of these seven cubs, they still fell victim to the virus. However, he emphasised that the situation is now under control, with no further deaths reported in the past 15 days.
Sen said, "We have completely broken the chain and taken all necessary measures. We followed all the required procedures and also held discussions with all our senior veterinarians. All the correct courses of action were taken, and we have ensured the hygiene of the entire zoo. The rescue centre was also thoroughly sanitised."
The initial infection was detected on August 22. Within a span of 15 days, the seven virus-infected cubs lost their lives. Among them, four had been released into the Safari area, and three others were housed at the rescue centre. All the infected cubs succumbed to the disease despite receiving appropriate treatment.
Describing the nature of the virus, Sen explained that once a leopard is infected with the Feline panleukopenia virus, its intestines become severely affected. This leads to symptoms such as severe diarrhoea, vomiting, and dehydration, ultimately resulting in death. The virus spreads rapidly, and infected animals typically pass away within four to five days.