San Diego Zoo Safari Park gorillas test positive for COVID-19

SAN DIEGO — Gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to an announcement from the park Monday.

The pandemic has been widespread in San Diego County for months, but this is the first time any San Diego Zoo Global animals have tested positive for the coronavirus. It’s also the first confirmed instance of the virus infecting any of the great apes, a group that includes gorillas, bonobos, chimps and orangutans.

“They are doing well. They’ve got some minor symptoms, but they’re drinking and eating,” said Lisa Peterson, executive director of the Safari Park. “We can tell the difference because our team works so closely with them.”

Peterson said that more than one gorilla has tested positive but would not provide an exact number. Safari Park staff are now carefully monitoring the entire troop with the assumption that all of the gorillas are or could soon be infected.

The park first suspected the gorillas could have been exposed to the virus when a staff member tested positive for the coronavirus more than a week ago. While the employee did not have COVID-19 symptoms, nearly half of the pandemic’s spread comes from asymptomatic infections, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control.

That meant there was a chance the keeper could have infected the troop. Humans share about 98% of our DNA with gorillas.

Staffers noticed that some of the gorillas seemed a bit slower-moving than usual and were sneezing and huffing a bit as they breathed. So they collected fecal samples and tested them for the coronavirus. On Friday, they got back a positive result.