2 Zoo hippos test positive for COVID-19. Antwerp Zoo said it is unclear how Imani, aged 14, and Hermien, 41, caught the virus adding that the animals were doing well – apart from having runny noses.
A Belgian zoo has said its two hippopotamuses have been taken into quarantine after testing positive for coronavirus. Restrictions have been tightened at the zoo until the animals test negative. Globally, there have been several reports of captive and domesticated animals infected with Sars-CoV-2.
The hippos’ noses are usually wet, but vets at Antwerp Zoo decided to test the pair after they noticed they were “expelling snot”.
Their enclosure has been sealed off. Their handlers – who have tested negative – must wear masks and safety glasses, and disinfect their footwear before any contact with the hippos. Said Antwerp Zoo vet Francis Vercammen:
To my knowledge, it’s the first recorded contamination among this species. Throughout the world this virus has mostly been seen in great apes and felines.
Earlier this week, Canada also confirmed that three COVID-19 cases had been discovered in wild deer – the first such report in the country’s wildlife. But limited testing means no one knows how prevalent coronavirus is in the wild.
Source – Pindula News
In other news – Douglas Munatsi’s death update: Friends and family say he could have easily escaped
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They say if he was not immobilised or held against his will, the prominent banker could have escaped the fire that engulfed his luxurious 9th-floor penthouse using various routes that were available to him…Learn More.
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