The Phoenix Zoo followed in the footsteps of other zoos by vaccinating their animals. Veterinarian Dr. Gary West, the Zoo’s senior vice president of animal and living collections, said the animals take the vaccinations better than people do.
“They don’t like it, but they bounce right back and go back to their lives,” he said.
There have been no cases of COVID reported among the Phoenix Zoo animals. The CDC says the risk of people spreading the virus to animals is low, but the zoo is taking precautions by giving the animals the vaccine beforehand as other zoos have reported infections.
A zoo in Belgium recently reported that a pair of hippopotamuses tested positive for COVID-19 and were put in isolation. It is unknown how they contracted the virus but it’s believed to be the first recorded case for the species, USA Today reported.
Two tigers at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium tested positive for the virus. It’s believed they were infected by an asymptomatic zoo employee. TribLive reported the zoo is currently on the waiting list for the vaccinations for their animals.
The Phoenix Zoo used a vaccine created by Zoetis that was specifically made for animals.
Zoetis, a global animal health company based in New Jersey, donated the doses. The vaccine is authorized for emergency use to protect endangered species.
Zoetis first got a permit from the U.S. Department of Agriculture early this year to provide the doses on an experimental basis to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, where a troop of western lowland gorillas in January became the first apes known to test positive for the coronavirus.
Big cats such as Sumatran tigers, jaguars and African lions; many of the zoo’s primates like Bornean orangutans and tiny emperor tamarins; and Egyptian fruit bats, armadillos and two-toed sloths are among the 75 animals that have already received their first shots.
West said Thursday that staff members are now giving the second jabs that will serve as boosters and should keep them protected for a year.
West said the Phoenix Zoo has been taking precautions to protect the animals throughout the pandemic with distancing and protective equipment. The inoculations should give the most susceptible animals an added layer of protection, he said.
There have only been a few known cases of zoo animal deaths from COVID-19 complications, including three rare snow leopards that died recently at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo in Nebraska.
Zoos across the country, including the St. Louis Zoo and the Denver Zoo, have recently grappled with COVID-19 outbreaks among their animals.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
