Chile: Vaccinations for coronavirus in endangered animals

Charlie and Santai, a Bengal tiger and a Bornean orangutan, two endangered species, received the second dose of covid-19 vaccine on Monday as part of a unique Latin American pilot program at the zoo. Santiago, Chile.

The 26-year-old Sandai is “an animal with significant reproductive abilities for its species, which has led us to focus on immunizing it,” said Ignacio Indalsoaga, director of the zoo.

Charlie, although only three years old, is already a huge Bengal tiger, one of the largest felines in the world.

In addition to Charlie and Santai, zoo officials have immunized dozens of other animals, including felines and large monkeys, against covid-19.

The vaccine given to them is experimental and is not available for sale. Its formula, which is specially formulated for animals, is similar in some respects to that given to humans, explained the Zoetis veterinary laboratory that delivered the vaccines to the Santiago Zoo.

The same vaccine has been given to animals at the San Diego Zoo in the US, but in Chile (where 87% of the population over the age of three has been fully immunized against covid-19) is the only Latin American country to have started a vaccine. program for animals.

“The goal is to protect animals that are more susceptible to coronavirus and at the same time to confirm whether their vaccines provide immunity and how long it lasts, much like we do with humans,” said Sebastian Shelley, head of veterinary medicine.

To calm the animals in order to vaccinate them, Charlie was given a piece of meat and Santai many bananas, his favorite food.

No animal cases of covid-19 have been reported at the Santiago Zoo, such as in Washington, D.C., where six lions and three tigers were vaccinated against covid-19 after testing positive for the disease last year.

Gorillas at the Atlanta Zoo in Georgia were among the first animals to test positive for covid-19.

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