Are vaccines causing sudden deaths in zoo animals?
While there are no official data suggesting an uptick in animal deaths, reports show that there may be elevated incidence of deaths among vaccinated zoo animals.
Last week, Gladys Porter Zoo announced the unexpected death of Martha, a 32-year-old gorilla who was being treated for a urinary tract infection but otherwise showed no signs of illness.
“Upon necropsy, we found that she had multiple organ abnormalities, which, in turn, created a life-ending cascade,” said Dr. Tom deMaar, the Zoo’s Senior Veterinarian. “The cascade began with fibrosing heart disease, which led to renal failure.”
DeMaar was the one who advocated for Gladys Porter Zoo’s animals to be given COVID-19 injections in July of last year.
In February, the zoo also lost Martha’s father, Lamydoc.
Last month, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium announced the unexpected death of Rinzen, an 11-year-old panda who died suddenly of heart disease. Rinzen was unresponsive after receiving a routine checkup. Columbus Zoo and Aquarium also suffered the loss of Toby, a 42-year-old bonobo, who died of a stroke in February. The zoo injected its animals with the COVID-19 shot in November 2021.
The Cincinatti Zoo announced in March the death of its Western lowland silverback gorilla. According to the report, which made mention of Jomo’s degenerative spinal cord condition, “it is unclear why he died.” The Cincinatti Zoo injected at least 80 of its animals with the COVID-19 vaccine in October 2021.
In December of last year, the San Diego Zoo lost 26-year-old Satu after the orangutan suddenly dropped dead. The San Diego Zoo began injecting its animals with the COVID-19 vaccine in March 2021.
Kedgwick County Zoo reported the loss of Zuza in October after the 30-year-old Western lowland gorilla suddenly became unresponsive and died soon after. The zoo had begun injecting its animals that month.
It is unclear whether there is a connection between the COVID-19 injections and sudden animal deaths, but it is anyone’s guess if zoo administrations will acknowledge the possibility.
