LAHORE, March 19: Taking note of a tiger’s death and the outbreak of diseases among some other big cats, Punjab wildlife secretary Javed Majeed has asked the Lahore zoo management to improve sanitation and veterinary care at the earliest.

The secretary held a meeting on Monday where he asked zoo officials to take steps to check the spread of TB which was presently affecting some tigers. Three of the tigers have also been hit by a blood parasite.

The wildlife secretary told Dawn that a well-equipped laboratory would be set up at the zoo on an urgent basis.

Mr Majeed said the lab would help zoo people to carry out clinical tests on their premises instead of the present time-consuming practice of sending sick animals or their blood/urine samples to the Veterinary University or Veterinary Research Institute.

He said the TB tests of all zoo animals and birds would be carried out.

Wildlife experts say that TB prevalence was spotted at the zoo several months ago. TB and other bacterial diseases, according to them, spread on the wings of ticks, flies and mosquitoes which were in abundance at the zoo because of massive digging for new constructions.

Experts say the zoo administration must announce precautionary measures visitors should take as TB is threatening for them as well, specially children.

The wildlife secretary said that five more veterinarians, three for animals and two for birds, would be posted at the zoo.

A press release issued by Lahore Zoo on Monday said precautionary measures were being taken to protect animals.