Coronavirus: Great apes receive Covid-19 vaccine

The apes were given an experimental jab developed specially for animals

Some of your grandparents or parents may have had their first coronavirus vaccination by now but at a zoo in the United States, it's not just humans who are receiving their jab!

A number of great apes at San Diego Zoo have been given an experimental vaccine, including four orangutans and five bonobos.

It comes after a few gorillas tested positive for the virus. They are now recovering in the care of the zoo's specialist vets.

They were the first apes in the world to test positive for the virus, and scientists are concerned that it could impact the gorilla population, which is already under threat of extinction.

Nadine Lamberski, chief conservation officer at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, said none of the apes experienced any bad reactions to the jab but will be monitored very closely.

They will be tested for antibodies soon, which will show whether the vaccines were a success or not.

If there are antibodies in their blood, it means they may have some immunity to the virus.

There is a fun looking climbing frame inside the orangutan enclosure at San Diego zoo!

One of the orangutans to have the vaccine was 28-year-old Karen, who was the first great ape in the world to have open heart surgery, back in 1994.

A veterinary medicine company called Zoetis are behind the development of the animal vaccine.

Four orangutans were among the great apes to be given the jab

They began creating the vaccine in February 2020 after a dog tested positive for the virus in Hong Kong.

The vaccine was trialled in cats and dogs and was proven to be safe and effective by October that year.

Cases of the virus have also been found in animals at other zoos, including lions and tigers in the Bronx Zoo in New York, and lions at Barcelona Zoo in Spain.

Covid-19 infections have been confirmed in various animals worldwide, including ferrets and mink but cases are generally quite rare.