Rare Snow Leopard Infected with COVID-19 at U.S. Zoo

[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] A rare animal, a snow leopard, at the San Diego Zoo in the United States has been found to be infected with COVID-19.

According to major foreign media on the 24th (local time), Ramil, a male snow leopard living at the San Diego Zoo, tested positive for COVID-19 twice. Ramil, who is 9 years old this year, showed symptoms of COVID-19 such as coughing and a runny nose.

The zoo stated that although Ramil is not showing additional symptoms, a female snow leopard who shared the enclosure with Ramil and two Amur leopards have been separated into a different space. Currently, the route through which Ramil was infected with COVID-19 is unknown.

Earlier in January, eight gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, a sister facility of the San Diego Zoo, were infected with COVID-19. The gorillas, who contracted the virus from an asymptomatic zookeeper, were recorded as the first case of infection in great apes.

Subsequently, the zoo received approval to use an experimental COVID-19 vaccine for animals and administered Pfizer subsidiary Zoetis's animal vaccine to primates and large felines with a high risk of infection. However, it was confirmed that Ramil had not been vaccinated against COVID-19.

The zoo stated, “Employees are not required to be vaccinated, but those who are not vaccinated are required to wear masks.”