NEWS
Lions Test Positive for COVID at Spanish Zoo
Source: Zoo Barcelona
Four lions at a zoo in Barcelona, Spain have tested positive for COVID-19 after displaying slight symptoms of the virus.
According to numerous media outlets, the three females and one male lion were tested by zookeepers using the same methods humans are tested through the use of PCR tests.
“The lions were given veterinary care for their mild clinical condition – similar to a very mild flu condition – through anti-inflammatory treatment and close monitoring, and the animals responded well,” Barcelona Zoo said in a statement.
The diagnosis is only the second known case in which large felines have contracted the virus. Barcelona Zoo contacted colleagues at the Bronx Zoo in New York, where four tigers and three lions tested positive for the coronavirus back in April. All seven Bronx Zoo animals did recover from the virus.
Authorities are investigating how the lions became infected, but two staff at the Zoo Barcelona also tested positive for the coronavirus.
