Lions that tested positive for COVID-19 are ‘recovering well’

All five lions in Singapore which tested positive for COVID-19 are “recovering well”, said Minister of Health Ong Ye Kung. 

Mr Ong made the remarks in a Facebook post on Nov 16, adding that the lions at Night Safari are “bright, alert and doing well”. He had enquired about the status of the lions and the animal carers after reading about the snow leopards that died at a zoo in Nebraska because of COVID-19. 

“Their diets are being boosted with vitamins and supplements. All the lions continue to eat well,” wrote Mr Ong, who had gotten the information from the Zoo via Deputy Chairman of Mandai Park Holdings Tan Chuan-Jin. 

The animal carers are also “on the mend with only mild symptoms”, he added. 

Four Asiatic lions from Night Safari and one African lion from Singapore Zoo had tested positive for COVID-19 last week. The lions had shown signs of sickness, including coughing, sneezing and lethargy. 

The lions are currently recovering from their dens, away from the public area.