--- title: "Eight Gorillas in Zoo Catch Coronavirus" description: "Eight gorillas at the San Diego Zoo have tested positive for COVID-19, the Associated Press reports, the first known case amount such primates in the US." date: "2021-01-11" modified: "2021-01-11" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/eight-gorillas-zoo-catch-coronavirus" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" - "Medical" - "Pathogens" - "Viruses" tags: - "animals" - "coronavirus" - "covid19" - "zoos" --- # Eight Gorillas in Zoo Catch Coronavirus ![Eight gorillas at the San Diego Zoo have tested positive for COVID-19, the Associated Press reports, the first known case amount such primates in the US.]() *\Image: Pxhere\* Eight gorillas at the San Diego Zoo have tested positive for COVID-19, the [*Associated Press* reports](), the first known case of their species catching the coronavirus in the United States and possibly the world. Somehow, they caught the bug despite the fact that the zoo has been closed since December 6. Gorillas are an endangered species and share 98.4 percent of their DNA with humans, prompting concerns among wildlife experts. Experts believe the park's wildlife care team brought in the virus unknowingly, as they were asymptomatic at the time and wore masks around the animals. Several of the gorillas had been found to be coughing, according to the zoo's executive director Lisa Peterson. "Aside from some congestion and coughing, the gorillas are doing well," she told *AP*. It's still unclear how they will fare long term. Other animals have also contracted the virus, including [minks]() and [tigers](). We also don't know if the virus is able to be transmitted from gorilla back to human, but the caretakers aren't taking any chances. Staff will now be required to wear face shields and eye goggles when interacting with the beasts. “This is wildlife, and they have their own resiliency and can heal differently than we do," Peterson told *AP*. "The troop remains quarantined together and are eating and drinking," Peterson [told local news]() of the gorillas. "We are hopeful for a full recovery." ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()