According to federal officials, several gorillas have tested positive for the coronavirus at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. They are the first known apes in the United States to be infected.
Zoo officials believe the gorillas became infected by an asymptomatic staff member who had been following all of the safety recommendations – including wearing PPE when around the animals.
Just like some humans who suffer from the virus, the gorillas are congested and coughing, but are expected to make a full recovery. It was actually the coughing that got the attention of zoo officials. After multiple tests were run over several days, it was confirmed that the troop of apes did indeed test positive.
The first case of human-to-cat transmission was detected in April of 2020.A tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York City tested positive for the virus. In August, minks on two different farms in Utah tested positive. And then in December, a snow leopard was infected at the Louisville Zoo in Kentucky.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, the number of western lowland gorillas has declined by more than 60% over the past two decades.
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