Everest, Makalu, and Ranney were three playful snow leopards who had been held in captivity at the Lincoln Children's Zoo in Nebraska for years. Visitors loved watching them stalk and leap around -- making these captive big cats a huge draw for the zoo.
Until they all contracted COVID-19 in October 2021. One month later,
all three were dead.
Sign the petition to demand zoos vaccinate their eligible animals to save them from COVID-19!Scientists have known for a while that animals can, in fact, become infected with and succumb to COVID-19. And since we now understand that COVID is caused by an airborne virus, the fastest way for animals like these precious, rare snow leopards to contract the disease is for infected humans to breathe around them.
With COVID cases spiking again all around the U.S. due to seasonal travels,
it is certain that more animals -- including those at zoos -- will die from being around humans carrying the novel coronavirus. These animals didn't choose to be around humans -- the very least we can do is protect them from the harm we can cause them!
Luckily, researchers have developed a vaccine against COVID-19 that's specifically intended to help animals!
But that vaccine won't help any creature if they don't get inoculated with it ASAP. That's why we're urging the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), an organization that accredits zoos all around the world, to require vaccination for eligible zoo animals now!
If you want to keep leopards, gorillas, and other animals safe, help us urge the AZA to mandate that all zoos vaccinate their eligible animals against COVID-19. Sign the petition now!