A Hong Kong zoo seeks answers after 9 monkeys die in 2 days

15 Oct 2024, 08:18 by Kanis Leung

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Hong Kong's oldest zoo is seeking answers in a monkey medical mystery after nine animals died in two days, including three members of a critically endangered species.

Part of the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens has been sealed off and disinfected, and experts have been called in to conduct necropsies and toxicological tests, Hong Kong leader John Lee said in his weekly press briefing Tuesday.

Eight monkeys were found dead on Sunday, and another died Monday after unusual behavior. The deceased animals included a De Brazza's monkey, a common squirrel monkey, four white-faced sakis and three cotton-top tamarins—a species listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

"Whenever we have any news, if there's a new development, an announcement should be made as soon as possible, so that everyone can know about the facts," Lee said.

On Monday, the government held an urgent interdepartmental meeting about the deaths. It said in a statement that another De Brazza's monkey's behavior and appetite were found to be unusual, requiring further observation.

But all 80 other animals in the gardens were in normal condition, it added.

Jason Baker, senior vice president of animal rights group PETA Asia, said the deaths raised concerns about a possible outbreak of a zoonotic disease such as mpox, which can jump from animals to humans.

"Monkeys in captivity are often exposed to pathogens that cause diseases that can be transmitted to humans, including tuberculosis, Chagas disease, cholera and MRSA," he said in a statement.

He said the only way to ensure the well-being of animals and prevent the spread of zoonotic diseases is to stop confining them in unnatural environments.

The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens—the oldest park in the former British colony—fully opened to the public in 1871. It is a rare urban oasis in the downtown Central district of the financial hub which returned to Chinese rule in 1997.