Dozens of critically endangered orangutans in Malaysia have been examined for the coronavirus, with vets in protecting fits enterprise the tough activity of giving the apes nasal swabs.
The antigen tests on 30 of the red-haired creatures in Sabah state on Borneo island have been performed final Tuesday, and all got here again adverse, wildlife officials stated.
They have been the primary virus exams on orangutans within the Southeast Asian nation, and have been ordered after workers at a rehabilitation centre and wildlife park grew to become contaminated.
“Testing for COVID-19 has been a vital tool in helping us get through this pandemic, and it is similarly important for this orangutan population,” stated Sen Nathan, assistant director of the Sabah Wildlife Department.
“The disease could prove vastly detrimental to their health and set back their rehabilitation.”
Vets will proceed to intently monitor the apes and exams shall be performed frequently, officers stated.
Animals have turn out to be contaminated with COVID-19 occasionally. At the weekend, a zoo in Atlanta introduced that a number of of its gorillas had examined constructive. Domestic cats, canines and at the very least one ferret have additionally been contaminated.
Malaysia is combating a severe COVID-19 outbreak pushed by the extremely contagious Delta variant, and has been recording 1000’s of circumstances and tons of of deaths every day.
Sabah, on the northeastern tip of Borneo and residential to huge tracts of jungle and a kaleidoscope of uncommon animals, has additionally confronted a surge in circumstances.
Bornean orangutans are categorised as “critically endangered” by safety group the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Their populations have declined by greater than 50 p.c over the previous 60 years, in line with the WWF, because the animals’ forest habitat has been progressively minimize right down to make approach for agricultural plantations.
Borneo is shared between Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.
© 2021 AFP
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Testing occasions: Borneo orangutans get COVID swabs (2021, September 13)
retrieved 13 September 2021
from https://phys.org/news/2021-09-borneo-orangutans-covid-swabs.html
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