Eight gorillas at the San Diego Zoo have fully recovered after contracting Covid-19 last month, the zoo said.
Gorillas in the western plains have caught the coronavirus variant on the west coast, zoo officials say, despite team members complying with all recommended biosafety precautions.
All eight gorillas at the zoo were isolated after diagnosis, some of them showing symptoms that included “mild cough, congestion, runny nose and intermittent lethargy,” the zoo said in an online update.
Zoo officials believe that gorilla recovery to the “highest standard of care” provided by the zoo’s veterinary team, wildlife care professionals and collaboration with a wide range of colleagues and partners.
“We are so grateful for the concern and outpouring support we received as the band recovered safely,” said Lisa Peterson, executive director of San Diego Safari Zoo. “We are excited to share the joy that this beloved band brings to our community and our guests.”
The San Diego Zoo is committed to sharing coronavirus documentation with its gorillas in the hope that it will help “provide important information about the scientific understanding of the virus and its effects on great apes.”
Gorillas are now visible to visitors.