Hong Kong’s oldest park seals off section following the death of nine monkeys in two days.
A zoo in Hong Kong is investigating the death of nine monkeys, including three members of a critically endangered species, in two days.
Part of the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, the oldest in the territory, has been sealed off and disinfected, Hong Kong leader John Lee said in his weekly press briefing on Tuesday.
Such activists said the incident raises questions as to whether keeping animals in captivity increases the possibility of the jumping of diseases such as pox, like monkeypox, to human beings.
Eight dead monkeys were found on Sunday, and another died today after strange behavior.
Lee said that whenever there is news or a new development, an announcement should be made as soon as possible so that everyone can know the facts.
The deceased animals include a De Brazza’s monkey, a common squirrel monkey, four white-faced sakis, and three cotton-top tamarins, an internationally recognized species listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
On Monday, the government convened an urgent interdepartmental meeting over the deaths.
A statement said that another De Brazza monkey’s behavior and appetite were to be observed as unusual.
