Cincinnati Zoo vaccinates 80 animals against COVID-19

CINCINNATI, Ohio (WCPO) — The Cincinnati Zoo has vaccinated 80 animals to support them against COVID19.

With immoderate animals astatine different zoos investigating positive, the Cincinnati Zoo enactment a programme successful spot to vaccinate its animals.

"There are immoderate taxon that are susceptible to the disease," Cincinnati Zoo veterinary technician Janell Duvall said. "I cognize determination haven't been cases astatine the Cincinnati Zoo, but determination person been immoderate animals that person tested affirmative astatine different institutions. We wanted to get a grip connected it and get up of it and support our animals."

Scientists person studied animals and COVID-19 since the pandemic began successful 2020. Duvall said primates are susceptible to COVID-19, arsenic good arsenic giraffes, and larger cats similar lions, snowfall leopards and cougars.

In a property merchandise sent Monday, the zoo said the vaccination program was added successful summation to the regular duties of handlers and veterinary technicians. Duvall said she and the zoo's different vet techs started accompanying handlers erstwhile feeding and spending clip with animals. The process began successful the mediate of the summer, and similar humans, it meant giving animals 2 doses of the vaccine.

"(We) started moving alongside the keepers since astir apt June oregon July," Duvall said. "It's a batch to inquire from immoderate animal. Sometimes erstwhile oregon doubly regular we would enactment with immoderate animals we were focusing connected and physique relationships. We person to physique a narration with them. That's the biggest task."

The property merchandise said the zoo didn't person immoderate incidents portion it completed its vaccine program. Vet techs would participate pens, enclosures and different habitats with keepers, past moved connected to entering them with a syringe earlier really administering shots.

"We benignant of fig what their favourite dainty is and marque the acquisition positive," Duvall said. "Something I support successful my caput is this isn't similar a canine oregon a cat, it's a chaotic animal. I bash my champion to marque definite everyone is safe."

Duvall said the zoo would proceed to show the latest probe connected animals and COVID-19, adjacent aft it conscionable completed its vaccination program.