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Nine monkeys died in a park in Hong Kong in recent days, thought to be poisoned, the Chief Executive also spoke out
After eight monkeys died of unknown causes at the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens on the same day, another white-faced saki monkey died yesterday morning (14th), and another white-rumped long-tailed monkey had abnormal activity and appetite and needed to be observed. The Hong Kong government held an emergency meeting and decided to speed up the autopsy and toxicology tests in the hope of determining the cause of the accident as soon as possible; many experts believe that the incident is more likely to be monkey poisoning, but it is difficult to infer whether it is human or environmental factors. Chief Executive John Lee also emphasized this morning that the most important thing now is for the chemist to complete the toxicology test as soon as possible, and the news will be announced as soon as possible.
Published:15/10/2024 - 10:23
author:
Hong Kong special correspondent Mak Yin-ting
The mass death of monkeys in the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens has caused concern, especially the white-faced saki, which has a strong digestive ability and is known as "immune to all poisons". The second highest number of deaths was three critically endangered cotton-top tamarins, of which there are only about 2,000 in the world. The death of nine monkeys of four species within two days has reduced the number of mammals in the park by 10%, and the remaining 80 animals are in normal health.
The Hong Kong government is also highly concerned about the mass death of monkeys. The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Kevin Yeung, convened an emergency inter-departmental meeting yesterday afternoon to respond. Before attending the meeting this morning, Chief Executive John Lee said that Secretary Yeung would be responsible for the command and coordination of this incident. He continued that the most important thing now is to do three things. The first is containment to prevent the spread of the situation, so the park has been sealed and the cages have been cleaned and disinfected; the second is to carry out appropriate control and continue to monitor the on-site environment, and staff must also do preventive work, including wearing protective equipment and clothing; the third is to find out the cause of death of the animals as soon as possible, including autopsy and toxicological testing, in order to understand the real cause of their death.
The reason why monkeys suddenly died
Many experts and veterinarians estimate that the mass death of monkeys may involve environmental factors, poisoning or infection with infectious diseases. Among them, it is more likely that the monkeys were poisoned because if they were infected with viruses or bacteria, they would become sick and die in batches rather than die overnight. However, it is currently difficult to determine whether the poisoning was caused by human factors or environmental factors.
However, registered veterinarian Lin Pei said on a radio program this morning that sudden death of animals can involve many factors, one of which is the infectious virus Leptospirosis. She pointed out that this virus can cause sudden death of animals and accumulate in the excretion of monkeys, cats and dogs. When other animals eat food or water contaminated by these secretions, they have the chance to be infected.
She also said that animals may also die of poisoning by ingesting pesticides or toxic substances, if there is a problem with the water source or food storage method, or if someone accidentally or deliberately feeds toxic food, such as chocolate, avocado and fruit pits, which makes it difficult for animals to digest and die. She also did not rule out the possibility that the monkeys were infected after being placed in cages with diseased mice, emphasizing that the true cause is still pending test results.
In addition, Deng Meijuan, a lecturer at the School of Biomedical Sciences of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said in another radio program that monkeys continued to die after the zoo suspended the opening of the mammal area, and it is expected that the monkeys could be ruled out as poisoned by tourists feeding them the wrong food. She speculated that the monkeys might have been infected with the virus and were not detected by the keepers during the incubation period, leading to the serious consequences this time.
The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens found eight monkeys dead on the 13th and suspended the mammal area the next day; but on the 14th, two more monkeys were found to be abnormal, one of which died, while the other, a white-naped long-tailed monkey, continued to be monitored. In the incident, a total of nine animals died, including four white-faced saki monkeys, three cotton-top tamarins, a white-naped long-tailed monkey and a squirrel monkey.
Among them, the death of white-faced saki monkeys was the most surprising, and the number was as high as four. According to online information, white-faced saki monkeys are the "king of anti-poison" in nature, because their stomachs can secrete a variety of digestive enzymes to neutralize various toxins, and their kidneys can metabolize some indigestible toxins and excrete them out of the body, so they are exaggerated as "immune to all poisons." According to the information from the Zoological and Botanical Park, white-faced saki monkeys live in the rainforest, where they feed on fruits, honey, flowers and small animals. They are extremely flexible and can jump between branches up to ten meters apart, so they are generally called "flying monkeys" in their place of origin.
The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, also known as Bingtou Garden, was established in early 1871 and is the oldest park in Hong Kong. Currently, about half of the 5.6-hectare park is used for animal breeding, including about 158 birds, 93 mammals and 21 reptiles.
https://www.rfi.fr/cn/港澳台/20241015-香港一公园连日累计9猴亡-料中毒-特首亦开腔
