Nine monkeys have died over two days in Hong Kong’s Zoological and Botanical Gardens, the oldest zoo in Hong Kong. The zoo has launched an emergency investigation into the mysterious deaths, which include the death of some endangered species.
It all started this past Sunday when zookeepers found eight of the zoo’s monkeys had died overnight. The cause of the monkeys’ death is not currently known, but the zoo has closed its mammal section for disinfection and monitoring out of precaution.
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Government health officials have expedited autopsies and toxicological tests to find out what killed all of these monkeys so quickly. Health officials say that all the other animals in the facility seemed fine, except one De Brazza’s monkey which is being closely observed since it’s exhibiting some unusual behavior and appetite changes.
In total, the species of the dead monkeys include a squirrel monkey, four white-faced sakis, three cotton-top tamarins, and a De Brazza’s monkey. The ninth monkey to die, one of the white-faced saki species, died sometime on Sunday or Monday.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, released a statement saying that the mysterious monkey deaths raise concerns about the risks of a disease outbreak like monkeypox which can jump from animals to humans, and vice versa. They called on the zoo to shut down and transition to a botanical garden.
Hong Kong’s Zoological and Botanical Gardens is a historical landmark in Hong Kong, and has been around since 1860, back when Hong Kong was a British colony. It has long been home to a wide range of species, which currently includes 158 birds, 80 types of mammals, and 21 reptiles. Health officials in Hong Kong are promising utmost transparency as they investigate the causes of death.
