COVID-19 effects on zoos and animal conservation
- Thread starter DelacoursLangur
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I just read on Facebook that the Covid crisis has claimed another zoo victim: a small family-run aquarium in Southern France, the aquarium du Cap-d'Agde, has had to decide they cannot reopen again. The aquarium would have celebrated its 30th birthday in 2021. The animals will be moved to other aquariums.
Hérault : mis à genoux par le Covid-19, l'aquarium du Cap-d'Agde ferme définitivement ses portes
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Hérault : mis à genoux par le Covid-19, l'aquarium du Cap-d'Agde ferme définitivement ses portes
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Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
Not sure if this has already been posted but this is an interesting documentary that I found on youtube which is about how COVID-19 is impacting zoos in the UK:
The Consultative Committee of Belgium's federal and regional governments that the closure of zoos, among others, will be evaluated on February 5th, with a re-opening potentially occurring in mid-February or early March, but on condition of case rates and the evolution of the epidemic showing positive trends and being on the decrease.
Aside from a ban on non-essential travel (much needed but way too late) and an again extended quarantine for people who test positive for Covid-19/Sars-CoV-2 our government has not implemented stronger measures than those already in place.
Personally I am not getting my hopes up for a zoo reopening in February or March, given the condition of the case rates being on the decrease. That to me seems highly uncertain, given that while the rates are currently relatively stable, there are worrying trends such as increased transmission and outbreaks of the new British strain of Covid-19, outbreaks in nursing homes and schools and a slight increase in hospital admissions in the last week. Personally I continue to fear we might be at the start of a third wave with the new British strain, and would have preferred at least some stronger measures to be implemented. Hopefully a third wave can still be prevented at this point.
Aside from a ban on non-essential travel (much needed but way too late) and an again extended quarantine for people who test positive for Covid-19/Sars-CoV-2 our government has not implemented stronger measures than those already in place.
Personally I am not getting my hopes up for a zoo reopening in February or March, given the condition of the case rates being on the decrease. That to me seems highly uncertain, given that while the rates are currently relatively stable, there are worrying trends such as increased transmission and outbreaks of the new British strain of Covid-19, outbreaks in nursing homes and schools and a slight increase in hospital admissions in the last week. Personally I continue to fear we might be at the start of a third wave with the new British strain, and would have preferred at least some stronger measures to be implemented. Hopefully a third wave can still be prevented at this point.
Today the Consultative Committee of the Belgian federal and regional governments has decided that zoological parks will be allowed to reopen next Saturday, February 13th, as the current Covid-19 situation in Belgium is sufficiently good to allow this.
However, only the outdoor areas will be allowed to reopen. All indoor areas will have to remain closed and there will of course be additional strict safety regulations, but it still remains to be seen exactly what those will be.
I will post further communications on reopening dates and conditions in the appropriate news threads.
However, only the outdoor areas will be allowed to reopen. All indoor areas will have to remain closed and there will of course be additional strict safety regulations, but it still remains to be seen exactly what those will be.
I will post further communications on reopening dates and conditions in the appropriate news threads.
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The famous ecolodge at Asa Wright Nature Reserve in Trinidad, a particularly famous site for birdwatchers, has been forced to close for good as a result of funding problems introduced by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
More information can be found below:
Famous Trinidadian ecolodge permanently closes - BirdGuides
More information can be found below:
Famous Trinidadian ecolodge permanently closes - BirdGuides
I have just seen this open-access paper from Nature looking at the animals for sale in the wet markets of Wuhan before the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Between May 2017 and May 2019, routine monthly surveys were being done of the wet markets to identify the source of the tick-borne Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS), following a 2009-2010 outbreak with an unusually high mortality rate of 30%. This has allowed researchers to determine which species were present in the markets in the run-up to the COVID-19 outbreak. Notes were taken on the species being sold, whether they were from a wild source and whether they were being sold for food and/or pets.
Perhaps most notable in the results was that, of 36,295 wild animals recorded in the market, there were no pangolins or bats. A total of thirty-eight terrestrial wild animal species were found for sale in the market; it is considered unlikely that pangolins and bats were being concealed as other specially-protected species were found openly for sale. Of the thirty-eight species, eighteen were mammals - all but two (the Eurasian red and Pallas' squirrels) were being sold for food.
The mammals wild-caught for food (indicated by either wounds or reporting from the vendors) included the raccoon dog, Amur hedgehog, Siberian weasel, hog and Asian badgers, Chinese hare and wild boar. Those species being sold as food that were not reported as being wild-caught were the masked palm civet, Chinese bamboo rat, Malayan porcupine, Chinese muntjac, coypu, Himalayan marmot, red fox, American mink and complex-toothed flying squirrel.
There were also eight bird species and twelve reptile species found for sale in the markets.
The full paper can be seen here:
Animal sales from Wuhan wet markets immediately prior to the COVID-19 pandemic | Scientific Reports
Between May 2017 and May 2019, routine monthly surveys were being done of the wet markets to identify the source of the tick-borne Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS), following a 2009-2010 outbreak with an unusually high mortality rate of 30%. This has allowed researchers to determine which species were present in the markets in the run-up to the COVID-19 outbreak. Notes were taken on the species being sold, whether they were from a wild source and whether they were being sold for food and/or pets.
Perhaps most notable in the results was that, of 36,295 wild animals recorded in the market, there were no pangolins or bats. A total of thirty-eight terrestrial wild animal species were found for sale in the market; it is considered unlikely that pangolins and bats were being concealed as other specially-protected species were found openly for sale. Of the thirty-eight species, eighteen were mammals - all but two (the Eurasian red and Pallas' squirrels) were being sold for food.
The mammals wild-caught for food (indicated by either wounds or reporting from the vendors) included the raccoon dog, Amur hedgehog, Siberian weasel, hog and Asian badgers, Chinese hare and wild boar. Those species being sold as food that were not reported as being wild-caught were the masked palm civet, Chinese bamboo rat, Malayan porcupine, Chinese muntjac, coypu, Himalayan marmot, red fox, American mink and complex-toothed flying squirrel.
There were also eight bird species and twelve reptile species found for sale in the markets.
The full paper can be seen here:
Animal sales from Wuhan wet markets immediately prior to the COVID-19 pandemic | Scientific Reports
Covid vaccination for zoo animals?
First US zoos have started vaccination of zoo animals susceptible to covid19 illness - apes, cats, bears and ferrets.
Have any European zoo vaccinated its animals? Is any vet approved vaccine available here?
The UK decided (according to press articles I have seen in my local media) to give up all non-farmaceutical measures and let delta variant rip through rest of its unvaccinated human population with 100.000 new daily infections expected soon. Will British zoos try to protect their vulnerable animals in some special way? Like animal vaccination or partial closure of parts of zoo areal or animal houses?
First US zoos have started vaccination of zoo animals susceptible to covid19 illness - apes, cats, bears and ferrets.
Have any European zoo vaccinated its animals? Is any vet approved vaccine available here?
The UK decided (according to press articles I have seen in my local media) to give up all non-farmaceutical measures and let delta variant rip through rest of its unvaccinated human population with 100.000 new daily infections expected soon. Will British zoos try to protect their vulnerable animals in some special way? Like animal vaccination or partial closure of parts of zoo areal or animal houses?
Here in the states, some zoos have indeed begun/have already vaccinated against COVID-19. Oakland Zoo is the most recent that I’ve seen post about it on social media with San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance vaccinating some of their animals like their orangutans and bonobos. The gorilla troop at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park which was symptomatic for COVID a while back so I don’t know if they had vaccinated already or perhaps waited for their antibodies to no longer be at the threshold for which vaccination would be suggested. I know the company that is responsible for some or all of their animals vaccinated is Zoetis, a well known veterinary field pharmaceutical company.
That seems how it’s being treated as real world experimental trials, similarly to how healthcare workers here in the states were the real world trials like myself. I am not too sure what trials were ran prior to the vaccination programs with zoo animals or animals in general but I know that some of the major players are doing the COVID vaccine program for their potentially vulnerable species like carnivores and apes. Denver Zoo just announced earlier today that they too will be undergoing the COVID vaccine program for their animals.