The Oakland Zoo has started vaccinating animals such as tigers, bears, pumas and ferrets against Covid-19. Next, the vaccine will be given to monkeys, bats and pigs.
Oakland – The Zoo in Oakland, California has started vaccinating animals such as tigers, bears, pumas and ferrets against Covid-19. According to the zoo on Friday, the experimental vaccine from US manufacturer Zoetis will next be administered to monkeys, fruit bats and pigs. Until now, they have relied on protective measures such as distance, barriers and protective clothing for employees. They are “relieved” to be able to protect their animals better with a vaccine, said veterinarian Alex Herman.
The animal health group Zoetis plans to donate more than 11,000 doses of the vaccine to almost 70 zoos and other facilities in the US, according to the announcement.
The first great apes were vaccinated with the vaccine developed for animals at the San Diego Zoo in March. The animals received their second dose every three weeks. Eight gorillas at the zoo had previously tested positive for the virus in January. However, symptoms were mild and were limited to cough, constipation, and fatigue. According to the report, the monkeys have fully recovered. It was suspected that the animals had become infected from an asymptomatic employee, despite the zoo’s safety precautions. dpa
