October 15, 2024
HONG KONG – Eight monkeys were found dead on Sunday at the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, and the authorities have arranged for professionals to investigate the cause of the deaths. The mammals section of the zoo is closed from Monday for disinfection and cleaning while tests are conducted.
The eight dead animals include one De Brazza’s monkey, one common squirrel monkey, three cotton-top tamarins and three white-faced sakis.
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The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced on Monday that necropsy and laboratory tests have been arranged to help find out the cause of the deaths, and the health of the other animals is being closely monitored. Other facilities at the park will remain open during this period, it added.
This undated photo shows a staff member of the Hong Kong Zoological & Botanical Gardens monitoring the health of animals at the zoo. PHOTO: HKSAR GOVERNMENT/CHINA DAILY
Among the dead animals, cotton-top tamarins are a critically endangered species, mainly found in Costa Rica and northwestern Columbia.
Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, the city’s oldest park, was opened to the public in 1871. The park occupies an area of 5.6 hectares and houses about 158 birds, 93 mammals and 21 reptiles in about 40 enclosures.