‘Keep your dogs on their leads to stop coronavirus’
● Expert says outbreak could wipe out animals
Zookeepers are taking extra precautions to prevent the potential spread of coronavirus to its primates as an expert warned Covid-19 could wipe out populations in the wild if they come into contact with it.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland closed Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Park, near Kingussie, Inverness-shire, last week following government advice on coronavirus and social distancing.
Staff at both sites are continuing to look after the animals but are keeping direct contact to a minimum. Those required to go near primates are wearing masks.
University of St Andrews primatologist Dr Cat Hobaiter warned that Covid-19 could be fatal to chimpanzees, particularly in the wild in Africa, which are the closest primates to humans and share 98 per cent of our DNA.
Edinburgh Zoo houses a group of 16 chimpanzees.
The attraction also has brown capuchin monkeys, common squirrel monkeys and geladas, while the Highland Wildlife Park is home to Japanese macaques.
Charlotte Macdonald, interim chief executive at the zoological society, said: “It is a challenging time and our amazing teams at both parks are continuing to give our wonderful animals all the care they need.
“Covid-19 is a new form of coronavirus and we are finding out more about it every day.
“As always, there is a high standard of cleaning and hygiene when it comes to taking care of our animals and we are taking extra precautions against the potential transmission of the virus. This includes keeping any direct contact to a minimum and wearing masks around some of our more sensitive animals, such as the primates.
“Just like for everyone else, this is a new situation which is changing almost daily. We are incredibly grateful for the continued support from our fantastic members and support“normally
“Because apes are so vulnerable to respiratory infections – a regular cough or cold for me is lethal for them – we have all gone into full lockdown” DR CAT HOBAITER University of St Andrews primatologist
ers, which will be even more important over the coming months. Anyone who would like to help can find out how on our website.”
Dr Hobaiter, a lecturer in the School of Psychology and Neuroscience, who runs a primate research programme in Uganda, said the coronavirus posed a threat to wild chimpanzees.
She said: “We know that chimpanzees definitely, and probably all apes, are very vulnerable to coronavirus.
“Not only do we know they can catch the same ones we get, but when they get it it’s worse for them. It is very probably lethal for chimps if they get it.
“A very mild coronavirus occurred two or three years ago that was almost nonsymptomatic for humans, but when it transferred to chimps at a site in west Africa they were very sick.
“Because apes are so vulnerable to respiratory infections – a regular cough or cold for me is lethal for them – we have all gone into full lockdown.
I would say that if humans are susceptible then the apes are very likely to be able to get it and maybe also the other primates.
“But we do know from testing in China that macaques – a typeofoldworldmonkey–can get it, so this does look like all primates are going to be vulnerable to it.”
She added: “We just need to make sure it doesn’t get into these groups in the first place.”