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1. I've been talking about how non-human primates are facing a crisis with respect to coronavirus. Across the world, our relatives like gorillas, bonobos, chimpanzees, & orangutans are under lockdown to protect them from coronavirus
Contracting it would be catastrophic for them
Contracting it would be catastrophic for them
2. In places like Virunga National Park in the DRC, Gorilla trekking has been banned and armed park rangers watch over the gorillas. While it's a difficult time for places like Virunga for other reasons, at least the Gorillas are living in the wild and not locked inside
3. What I'm really concerned about is primates in zoos...specifically great apes. In the US and around the world, thousands of primates are in zoos (you all know how I feel about zoos). Zoos are closed right now, but what is their plan when they re-open with respect to primates?
4. In 2009, a respiratory disease broke out among the chimps at Chester zoo.
The disease came from human visitors!
30 chimps were infected and three died.
Are zoos going to re-open like normal risking that their primates could contract the coronavirus?
The disease came from human visitors!
30 chimps were infected and three died.
Are zoos going to re-open like normal risking that their primates could contract the coronavirus?
5. Or are zoos going to lock their primates down and keep them from being exposed to visitors? That is likely necessary but opens up a new avenue of concern...are primates going to be locked in cages & not able to get some fresh air?
We need to move toward a sanctuary model asap
We need to move toward a sanctuary model asap
