Charlie and Sandai, a Bengal tiger and a Bornean orangutan, two endangered species, received their second dose of vaccine on Monday. covid-19 as part of a unique pilot program for Latin America conducted at the Zoo in 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 been immunizing against covid-19 dozens of other animals, felines and large monkeys.
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 USA, 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 an animal vaccination program.
"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 cases have been reported at the Santiago Zoo covid-19 among animals, such as that in Washington, where six lions and three tigers were vaccinated against covid-19 after being found positive for the disease last year.
Gorillas at the Atlanta Zoo in Georgia were among the first animals to test positive in covid-19.
Source: RES-EAP