The lioness by the name of Neela had been asymptomatic and only showed nasal discharge on Wednesday, a day before she died, a statement by Arignar Anna Zoo read.
Five big cats started showing loss of appetite and occasional coughing on May 26. The zoo’s veterinary team sent samples of 11 lions to a national institute for COVID-19 testing. Nine came back positive.
Eight Asiatic lions tested positive for the coronavirus in May in a safari park in Hyderabad, north of Chennai. Several African lions and Malayan tigers became infected with the virus at the Bronx Zoo in New York City last year.
