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| © WCS/Via Reuters Nadia, a 4-year-old female Malayan tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York, has tested positive for coronavirus disease (covid-19). Several other great cats there also have symptoms. |
By Jason Bittel, The Washington Post
Editor’s note: KidsPost will answer one kid’s coronavirus question each week. Have an adult send yours to wapo.st/kidspostcoronavirusquestions.
Do animals at the zoo have coronavirus?
— Isabella D., 6, Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Unfortunately, yes.
When a Malayan tiger named Nadia started coughing March 27, her keepers at the Bronx Zoo in New York got worried, so they ran some tests. And last weekend those tests came back positive for covid-19. Even worse, several other great cats at the zoo may also have the virus.
Covid-19 is spread when people sneeze or cough. But the virus is sneaky, because people can be contagious even if they don’t feel sick.
While tests show the virus can sometimes infect dogs, house cats and ferrets, one of the biggest worries is for great apes. Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and bonobos are our closest relatives, which means they can catch many of the same illnesses we do. But for these animals, a cold can be deadly. This is why zookeepers worldwide have been taking extra precautions to make sure not to pass covid-19 to more animals.
Editor’s note: KidsPost will answer one kid’s coronavirus question each week. Have an adult send yours to wapo.st/kidspostcoronavirusquestions.
Do animals at the zoo have coronavirus?
— Isabella D., 6, Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Unfortunately, yes.
When a Malayan tiger named Nadia started coughing March 27, her keepers at the Bronx Zoo in New York got worried, so they ran some tests. And last weekend those tests came back positive for covid-19. Even worse, several other great cats at the zoo may also have the virus.
Covid-19 is spread when people sneeze or cough. But the virus is sneaky, because people can be contagious even if they don’t feel sick.
While tests show the virus can sometimes infect dogs, house cats and ferrets, one of the biggest worries is for great apes. Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and bonobos are our closest relatives, which means they can catch many of the same illnesses we do. But for these animals, a cold can be deadly. This is why zookeepers worldwide have been taking extra precautions to make sure not to pass covid-19 to more animals.
See more at The Washington Post
