Sri Lanka Seeks Indian Help To Treat Covid-Hit Lion

The Department of National Zoological Gardens said it was consulting vets at the Central Zoo Authority of India to treat 11-year-old Thor, a lion gifted by Seoul's zoo in 2013.

Sri Lanka's main zoo on Friday said it was seeking Indian help to treat a lion that tested positive for Covid-19 -- the first animal on the island known to be infected. The Department of National Zoological Gardens said it was consulting vets at the Central Zoo Authority of India to treat 11-year-old Thor, a lion gifted by Seoul's zoo in 2013. "We are seeking guidance from the Central Zoo Authority in treating Thor," Director General Ishini Wickremesinghe said in a statement. Thor had been experiencing breathing difficulties and refused food, prompting authorities at the Dehiwala Zoo, near the Sri Lankan capital, to test it for coronavirus.