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Last week, two gorillas at the San Diego Zoo were infected with COVID-19. An asymptomatic zoo staff member transmitted the disease to them. So far they are fine, just experiencing coughing and congestion. This is the first known case of the coronavirus afflicting great apes, but it has been detected in a few other zoo animals. One animal species hard hit globally by the virus is minks. Here in the U.S., COVID-19 cases are confirmed at 16 mink farms in four states: twelve in Utah, one in Michigan, one in Oregon, and two in Wisconsin. Farms in Europe performed mass culling, and while no mink farms here have culled their animals, thousands have died of COVID-19.
Why this Matters: The virus can mutate in animals and spread back to humans, producing newer —and potentially deadlier—variants of COVID-19, though this is rare. Danish mink farms produced a new strain of COVID named “Cluster 5” that has already infected at least twelve people. It is hard to control the spread of the disease in animals as well as humans, wreaking havoc on domestic animals and wild animal communities throughout the world.
COVID Spreads to Animals
These gorillas could pass the virus to the other members of their troop since they live in close contact within their enclosure. And previous research suggests that other primates may also be susceptible. The gorillas began coughing last Wednesday, and it’s still unclear whether the gorillas will have a serious reaction. In a press release from the San Diego Zoo, Lisa Peterson, executive director of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, said “ Aside from some congestion and coughing, the gorillas are doing well. The troop remains quarantined together and are eating and drinking. We are hopeful for a full recovery.”
This influx of infections in animals shows how interconnected our lives are with those of the animals that surround us. Across the country, the number of Americans diagnosed with COVID surpassed 22 million over the weekend, so we must be more careful than ever not to spread the virus to animals as well as our fellow humans.
To Go Deeper: The CDC suggests that it is rare for animals to spread COVID back to humans, but if you’re concerned about COVID spreading to your pets, be sure to keep them from interacting with strangers, and from roaming freely outside. See this page from the CDC for more details.
by Natasha Lasky, ODP Staff Writer A new study suggests that baby sharks are being born tiny, tired, and malnourished as a result of rising temperatures in the ocean. Scientists analyzed the effects of warming waters on young epaulette sharks — a small, egg-laying species that lives in the Great Barrier Reef. These researchers examined […]
In a story for the New York Times,Sam Anderson documents the lonely lives of the two beautiful creatures and details what we lose when a species vanishes before one’s eyes — it brings gravity to the extinction process that numbers and statistics just can’t.
Why This Matters: In 2019, the United Nations released a report detailing accelerating extinction rates.
Companies that unintentionally kill or harm migratory birds will no longer face any penalties for their actions — as the Trump administration delivers its final blows to nature on its way out the door. Rolling back the1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act undermines the purpose of the legislation, which was created to protect migrating birds — not the businesses that harm them.
Why this matters: The Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that industry action kills about 700 million birds every year. The administration has rammed through this rollback despite a court ruling that it’s illegal. Interior’s own analysis says it will push species onto the endangered list — but the rollback can be reversed by the incoming Biden administration.
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