Zoo reveals cause of mysterious monkey deaths as toll rises to 11

The death of 9 monkeys implicit 2 days astatine a zoo successful Hong Kong is believed to person been caused by a bacterial infection, the city’s authorities said.

The decease toll roseate to 11 implicit the play aft 2 much monkeys died. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said it would behaviour a necropsy to find retired if they had died of akin causes.

A conception of the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens was closed connected 14 October aft the deaths of the monkeys, including members of an endangered species, raising concerns astir a illness outbreak.

They died of sepsis aft catching melioidosis, the authorities said. Autopsies recovered melioidosis-inducing bacteria successful their organs which apt came from ungraded adjacent their habitat.

A De Brazza’s monkey, 3 communal squirrel monkeys and arsenic galore endangered cotton-top tamarins, and 4 white-faced saki monkeys person died astatine the zoo truthful far.

Kevin Yeung, Hong Kong’s civilization and tourism minister, told section broadcaster RTHK that workers digging up ungraded adjacent wherever the monkeys lived apt brought contaminated ungraded into the cage connected their shoes.

Mr Yeung said the incubation play for corruption was astir a week which matched the play betwixt the digging enactment and the decease of the animals.

"We person cordoned disconnected the full mammals conception for the clip being, truthful determination volition beryllium nary benignant of interaction betwixt mean citizens with the animals," helium added.

The bacterium causing melioidosis is communal successful Asia and the Pacific, wherever it usually lives successful ungraded and water, said Thomas Sit, an adjunct manager of inspection and quarantine astatine the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.

He said the monkeys tested antagonistic for viral infections specified arsenic Influenza A, Mpox and Covid, the Hong Kong Free Press reported.

Though the bacterium tin impact some humans and animals, it is improbable to beryllium passed from animals to humans, the authorities said.

The zoo authorities said they would support the mammals conception of the plot closed for present and intimately show the conditions of the animals.

One De Brazza's monkey is nether isolated surveillance since the archetypal deaths and is being fixed medication.

Edwin Tsui, the wellness section controller, said deaths were an "isolated corruption that happened successful an idiosyncratic zoo".

"We judge it volition person a tiny interaction connected residents and radical should not beryllium overly worried,” helium said.

The Zoological and Botanical Gardens is the oldest parkland successful Hong Kong. It was established successful 1860 and houses 158 vertebrate species, 93 mammals and 21 reptiles successful astir 40 enclosures.