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Testing times: Kalimantan orangutans get COVID-19 swabs
The antigen tests on 30 of the red-haired creatures in Sabah state on Kalimantan island were conducted last Tuesday, and all came back negative, wildlife officials said.
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This undated handout photo from the Sabah Wildlife Department released on September 12, 2021 shows vets wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) as they collect a swab sample from an orangutan for Covid-19 coronavirus testing at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in Sandakan on the Malaysian island of Borneo. (AFP/Handout)
D
ozens of critically endangered orangutans in Malaysia have been tested for the coronavirus, with vets in protective suits undertaking the tricky task of giving the apes nasal swabs.
The antigen tests on 30 of the red-haired creatures in Sabah state on Kalimantan island were conducted last Tuesday, and all came back negative, wildlife officials said.
They were the first virus tests on orangutans in the Southeast Asian country, and were ordered after staff at a rehabilitation centre and wildlife park became infected.
"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," said 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 continue to closely monitor the apes and tests will be conducted regularly, officials said.
Animals have become infected with COVID-19 on occasion. At the weekend, a zoo in Atlanta announced that several of its gorillas had tested positive. Domestic cats, dogs and at least one ferret have also been infected.
