A rare snow leopard tested positive for the coronavirus at the San Diego Zoo.
The zoo is in the process of vaccinating its animals against the coronavirus.
The large cat was one of the animals which had not yet received a vaccine.
The vaccination drive, which began in January, uses a special vaccine that is meant for animals and not for human use.
The zoo announced that the snow leopard had been tested and diagnosed with the coronavirus after its wildlife care specialists noticed that the cat had developed a cough and runny nose.
The snow leopard is reportedly doing well.
According to the Snow Leopard Trust, the species is endangered and there may be fewer than 4,000 specimens left in the wild.
Source: CNN
Note:
In January, the zoo started vaccinating its animals with donated recombinant purified spike protein vaccines, which are not intended for human use.
The zoo vaccinated several great apes after the zoo’s gorillas tested positive for the virus. The gorillas fully recovered.
Veterinary teams at the zoo are focusing on wildlife most at risk of contracting the virus, including leopards, lions, tigers, cheetahs, jaguars, mountain lions and others, according to the zoo’s news release.
This isn’t the first time a snow leopard tested positive in the US. In December, three snow leopards at the Louisville Zoo were confirmed to be infected with the virus.