Photo: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
The Columbus Zoo is mourning the loss of a 14-year-old tiger who has died from COVID-19 complications.
Jupiter, who died on June 26 at the facility, is the first animal to succumb to the virus at the zoo, officials said in a Facebook post.
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Zookeepers first noticed that Jupiter was feeling ill on June 22. The animal was “not interested in eating, and was reluctant to stand, move or interact with keepers,” according to the post.
The tiger was then anesthetized to help diagnose his illness, and the results suggested an infection.
“Unfortunately, Jupiter did not improve with this treatment and remained reluctant to move and eat. The following day, he was given additional treatments and had more diagnostic testing. Although he appeared stable, Jupiter passed away overnight,” the zoo wrote.
Jupiter was born in Moscow on July 9, 2007. He had been at the Ohio zoo since March 2015. The big cat sired nine cubs, six of which were born at the Columbus Zoo, officials said.
In the wake of Jupiter’s death, staff at the zoo are taking further precautions to stave off COVID-19 infections in other animals. Staff will now wear masks when within six feet of “cats, great apes and mustelids (i.e. otters, wolverines),” the zoo said.
The loss comes just over a week after the zoo lost another beloved animal. Beco, a 13-year-old Asian elephant, died June 18 after testing positive for the Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV), a life-threatening virus that affects both wild and captive elephants.
Meanwhile, a string of animals havedied from COVID-19 complicationsin zoos since the outbreak of the pandemic.
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source: people.com
