Earlier this month, the Philadelphia Zoo announced that some of its animals would soon receive an experimental COVID-19 vaccine for some of its “high-risk” animals. Several other zoos have already begun to vaccinate their animals, with no sign of any major issues. To understand how a zoo comes to decide which animals are high-risk and how to balance the concerns about a new vaccine with the risk of COVID, Slate spoke with Dr. Keith Hinshaw, the director of animal health at the Philadelphia Zoo. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
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Slate: Can you explain how this came about?
Two Virginia Zoo tigers test positive for COVID-19
Stubbley and Osceola were tested after caretakers noticed them wheezing and coughing. They were taken out of exhibit, but they re expected to make a full recovery.
Credit: Virginia Zoo Author: Savannah Haugdahl (WVEC) Updated: 12:46 PM EDT April 14, 2021
NORFOLK, Va. The Virginia Zoo s two Malayan tigers, Stubbley and Osceola, tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, according to a zoo spokesperson.
The tests were preliminary according to the zoo s release, and caretakers were working to confirm the results with a second test.
Stubbley and Osceola were examined after caretakers noticed them wheezing and coughing.
Humans are spreading the coronavirus to other animals. What does that mean for all of us?
By David Quammen
Feb. 19, 2021
Credit.Sara Andreasson
The noises of nature sometimes carry broader meanings. The howl of a wolf signifies that wildness endures. The gronk of Canada geese moving south overhead reminds Americans to brace for winter. The sound of a coughing gorilla signals that Covid-19 is an even bigger problem than we thought.
Early last month, two gorillas started coughing at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, a compound of open-air enclosures for wild animals, an annex to the city zoo but separate, out in an arid valley just east of Escondido. These gorillas were among a group of eight residing amiably there, on a patch of artfully constructed habitat known as the Gorilla Forest. Testing of fecal samples showed that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, was among them. It could only have come from a person.
Contagion Loop: When the gorillas started coughing dtnext.in - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dtnext.in Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.