snow leopard at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo in Nebraska died owing to complications from the virus. The event has reportedly shocked the zoo community in North America.
Accordingly, veterinarians at the Granby Zoo, located east of Montreal, are saying that it’s now the zoo animals’ turn to get a shot of Coronavirus vaccines. Over the coming weeks or months, the employees of the zoo intend to vaccinate about 90 animals against COVID-19, including big cats, gorillas and other creatures who appear to be the most vulnerable to the virus. According to Emilie Couture, a veterinarian with the zoo, jaguars, tigers, leopards and other big cats are on the top of the list, while some other mammals such as red pandas will also be taking the jab.
“Hopefully, we can start at least a few species by Christmas. I’m crossing my fingers for that,” she said in a recent interview.
Discussing the recent increase in COVID infections in North American zoos, she said: “Contrary to the first reports of disease early in the pandemic with the large felids, where they seem to have some respiratory signs but eventually recovered without significant disease, there is actually more severe diseases leading to death, even if institutions housing and caring for these animals already had biosecurity measures in place.”
The vaccines which will be given to the animals at the Quebec zoo are manufactured by Zoetis, a US veterinary pharmaceutical company and a former subsidiary of Pfizer. So far, the company has offered to donate about 900 doses to six Canadian zoos, which will be sufficient to fully vaccinate 450 animals.
