Zoo authorities in the southern state of Hyderabad shared samples with a government research laboratory on Mar 24 after the lions showed signs of respiratory distress.
“On April 24, the Hyderabad zoo gave samples of the eight lions -- collected from the nose, throat and respiratory tract under anaesthesia -- to CCMB after they showed signs of respiratory distress associated with Covid-19. Based on detailed tests and reports on Tuesday, it has now been confirmed that eight lions have tested positive for Sars-CoV-2 virus, which causes Covid-19,” the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
The test results come amid a huge surge in coronavirus infections among humans in India.
"Based on experience with zoo animals elsewhere in the world that have experienced SARS-COV2 positive last year, there is no factual evidence that animals can transmit the disease to humans any further," the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said.
The Nehru Zoological Park has now been closed, it said in a statement.