Covid-19: Colchester Zoo will not vaccinate apes 'at this stage'

A British zoo said it would not inoculate its apes "at this stage" despite several at an animal park in the US being given an experimental jab.

Four orangutans and five bonobos at San Diego Zoo each had two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine made for animals.

Eight gorillas at the zoo became the first great apes in the world to test positive for coronavirus in January.

Colchester Zoo in Essex said it was focusing on "procedures to help prevent transmission".

Veterinary pharmaceutical firm Zoetis said the jabs were given to the San Diego Zoo apes after it received a request for emergency doses when coughing gorillas there tested positive for coronavirus.

Those gorillas are now recovering.

It turned out they had contracted the virus from an asymptomatic keeper, raising fears that apes could be particularly vulnerable to the virus.

Colchester Zoo said its apes - gibbons, chimpanzees and orangutans - would not be vaccinated "at this stage".

It added that it had no signs of the virus in any of its animals and a risk assessment was in place.

A spokesman said: "We wear masks if we have to get close to them for veterinary procedures or training and [practise] hand washing and good hygiene.

"We also do a check of staff health every morning before they start work to ensure no one has any symptoms of Covid-19, and are monitoring all the animals closely for any signs."

Cases of the virus have been found in animals at other zoos, including lions and tigers in the Bronx Zoo in New York and lions at Barcelona Zoo in Spain.

Zoetis started developing a Covid-19 vaccine for cats and dogs in February last year and it was deemed safe and effective in those animals by October.

Until February this year, the jab had not been tested on any other animals.

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]