Louisiana Zoo To Give COVID-19 Vaccine To Gorillas And Orangutans

Louisiana’s Audubon Zoo will be vaccinating its animals against COVID-19, the zoo announced Tuesday, according to CBS News.

Zoetis, the company which developed the vaccine for animals, donated more than 11,000 doses of the vaccine to zoos, conservatories, sanctuaries, and other organizations, according to a press release.

The Department of Agriculture has approved the vaccine for experimental use on a case-by-case basis.

Gorillas and orangutans will be the first to receive the vaccine. The zoo claims that all animals receiving the vaccine “voluntarily participate in their own health through positive reinforcement training.” The animals have been trained to sit, stand or present their bodies to staff, according to CBS News.

“It’s very important to us to protect our animals against Covid-19 and the Delta variant. We have been evaluating the scientific literature on animal susceptibility throughout the pandemic, and we are eager to protect our animals,” Senior Veterinarian Bob Maclean said in a statement. According to zoo officials, there have been no recorded cases of COVID-19 in any of their animals at this time.