Another eight individuals developed a cough
Two lions have died after contracting the coronavirus at the Adventure World theme park in Shirahama, southwestern Japan. This was reported to The Japan News today by the institution.
The animals became infected in early 2023. They had a runny nose, cough and loss of appetite. On January 9, a 19-year-old lion died, and three days later, a 21-year-old lioness.
At first, the zoo decided that the lions died due to pneumonia. However, experts from the National Institute of Infectious Diseases later determined that the animals had COVID-19. It is believed that the lions were infected by two guards who were ill with the coronavirus at the time.
Read also
Academician Gunzburg called infection of animals the next stage of the coronavirus pandemic
Later, eight more lions at the zoo developed coughs. But now, according to representatives of the institution, they are recovering.
This is the first recorded case of coronavirus infection among zoo animals in Japan. The WHO has previously said that humans can infect animals, but deaths are rare.
