They’re vaxing zoo animals. The animals are dying. Why?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/this-zoo-just-vaccinated-80-animals-against-covid/ar-AAPL8BX

So far, the zoo’s “big cats, great apes (gorillas, bonobos, orangutans), red pandas, goats, giraffe, river otters, skunks, bearcats and domestic dogs and cats” have received at least one dose of the vaccine. As of this week, second doses remain in progress.

Around the country, zoo animals (and livestock apparently) are being vaxed for (er, or, against) COVID.

Now, historically, it is quite rare for a virus to jump species. It takes a long time and many many mutations.

(V)iruses that manage to jump species are rare — especially ones that do so successfully enough to cause large epidemics. “There are actually really effective barriers to zoonotic transmission,” Plowright says.

https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/infectious-disease/How-do-viruses-leap-from-animals-to-people-and-spark-pandemics/98/i33

One theory is they are experiments, to see how long it takes the big and small mammals to die.

Recent stories:

Red panda at (Utica) zoo dies unexpected: https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Utica-Zoo-s-adored-red-panda-dies-unexpectedly-16532076.php

Tiger at SLC zoo dies: https://www.abc4.com/news/beloved-tiger-at-hogle-zoo-dies/

Lion at Honolulu zoo dies of COVID: https://www.staradvertiser.com/2021/10/15/breaking-news/honolulu-zoos-only-male-lion-dies-of-coronavirus/

Leopard at Sioux Falls zoo dies of COVID: https://www.chron.com/news/article/Zoo-regroups-following-leopard-s-death-possibly-16530048.php

Giraffe at ATL zoo dies: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/beloved-giraffe-dies-at-age-16-at-zoo-atlanta/ar-AAPyJ9K

Milwaukee zoo polar bear dies; it was very old: https://www.wisn.com/article/beloved-milwaukee-county-zoo-polar-bear-dies/37735906#

Monkey at Miami zoo dies after surgery: https://www.wtsp.com/article/life/animals/zoo-miami-kumang-dies-anesthesia/67-e234e153-fa1b-4350-bc00-5897fc6544cd

Lion at D.C. zoo gets COVID: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/10/08/national-zoo-lion-covid-outbreak/

Old rhino dies at zoo in Italy: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/54-old-grandpa-toby-worlds-193809143.html

River otters die in FL zoo: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article254970607.html

Baby giraffe at Baton Rouge zoo dies after allergic reaction to unknown cause: https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_e77673c6-2130-11ec-be3d-3f7e5fea914d.html

Oldest giraffe ever dies at Tucson zoo: https://tucson.com/news/local/denver-the-oldest-giraffe-ever-at-tucsons-reid-park-zoo-dies/article_4956f764-1c95-11ec-b915-9352887a1891.html

Giraffe at Virginia zoo dies: https://dailyprogress.com/entertainment/zoo-in-southwest-virginia-mourns-giraffes-death/article_7134de99-e2bc-5f6f-9321-518629a33ca5.html

Baby giraffe dies at Dallas zoo: https://www.wfaa.com/article/life/animals/the-dallas-zoo-mourning-the-loss-of-3-month-old-giraffe-calf-marekani/287-a86cf71c-e0fd-405c-b4e7-602d47b1fc4f

Kansas City Zoo gorillas recovering from COVID: https://www.kmbc.com/article/kc-zoo-gorillas-recovering-from-covid/37873956