COVID-19 Vaccine: Bonobos and Orangutans Gets Hypothetical Vaccine at US Zoo

The first set of primate animals to receive the experimental COVID-19 vaccine are the nine great apes at the San Diego Zoo, as stated by the news report.

As disclosed by National Geographic, five Bonobos and four orangutans at the San Diego zoo each got two doses of the covid-19 vaccine, which was made by the veterinary pharmaceutical company Zoetis.

Orangutans Tested Positive for Coronavirus

Based on a statement from Zoetis, the zoo got in touch with them after many of the bonobos and orangutans at their safari park tested positive for the coronavirus in January, and the company answered by giving a small supply of their covid-19 vaccine.

Chief Observation and Wildlife health officer, Nadine Lamberski at the San Diego zoo wildlife alliance told National Geographic: "This is not the normal way. In my professional career, I have not had permission to an experimental Covid-19 vaccine this early in the operation and have not had such a strong desire to want to make use of one."

Gorilla to Receive the Vaccine

According to the New York Times, One gorilla is also planned to receive the vaccine at the zoo, but since most of the bonobos and orangutans there have already proven positive and got healed from COVID-19, they are a lower priority for receiving treatment right now.

The New York Times reported that the plans of Zoetis are to make provision for more Covid-19 vaccines to the San Diego Zoo and many other zoos, so far they have a bigger supply of their vaccine.

Zoetis primarily made their COVID-19 vaccine for dogs and cats to make use of, but then moved to research the vaccine in mink after a huge breakout happened on mink farms last year.

The Covid-19 vaccine is still experimental and it has not yet been certified for use in animals in the United States, but the company (Zoetis) is presently in talks with the United States Department of Agriculture to approve the COVID-19 vaccine in minks.

The Vaccine Similar to Novavax Covid-19 Vaccine

According to Science Magazine, "The vaccine of Zoetis is relatively similar to the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine made for human use, which carries an adjusted edition of the coronavirus's "spike protein."

It's not common for a vaccine, especially the Covid-19 vaccine made for one particular animal species to be adjusted for another species of animal, as disclosed by the CBS News. CBS News said that certainly, "apes at the San Diego Zoo also get human flu vaccines and measles vaccines."

As previously reported by Live Science, the endangered black-footed ferret which is part of another species of animal also got an entirely different experimental COVID-19 vaccine last year in Colorado.

Facts About Orangutans

Orangutans are the only great apes to be discovered in Asia. They are also the largest arboreal animals in the world World, which simply means they are the largest animals that are capable of living on trees.

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