Coronavirus is not transmitted to pets, however dissimilar from humans as dogs and cats. But the fear that Covid-19 may instead switch to human mirror primates like great apes has triggered a sort of self-isolation also in the "Virunga National Park" of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the gorilla sanctuary mountain already endangered.
The Central African natural park blocked visits until June 1st, reports the CGN Africa site, remembering that Virunga is the 'home' of about a third of the mountain gorillas in the world.
"Scientific advice suggests that primates, including mountain gorillas, are likely to be subject to complications resulting from the Covid-19 virus," said the Virunga Park organization, motivating its choice.
Even neighboring Rwanda is temporarily closing down tourism and research in three national parks where monkeys such as gorillas and chimpanzees are found.
Mountain gorillas in particular are prone to respiratory diseases that affect humans and a simple cold can kill them, as the "World Wide Fund for Nature" warns and this is a reason why tourists are generally not allowed to getting too close to these specimens, a thousand of which live in protected areas between Congo, Uganda and Rwanda.
There is the rule of seven meters to keep between man and gorilla but a study conducted by a Ugandan institute together with the University of Ohio found that the norm is almost always violated, 98% of the time: and in four out of ten cases not by the tourist, but by the gorilla himself.
Chronicles of the pandemic - Africa
2020-03-23T19:51:27.045Z
- COVID-19 Pandemic Reverses a Decade of Progress in Global Life Expectancy: WHO Report
- Pandemic Slashes Global Life Expectancy by Nearly Two Years: A Decade of Progress Lost
- Chile Joins South Africa in Legal Battle Against Israel for Genocide at ICJ
- ICJ Orders Israel to Halt Rafah Offensive Amid Genocide Allegations
March 23 (ANSA)
Similar news:
- Chronicles of the pandemic - China 4 years
- Chronicles of the pandemic - Great Britain 4 years
- Chronicles of the pandemic - Great Britain 4 years
- Chronicles from the pandemic - France 4 years
- Chronicles of the pandemic - USA 4 years
- Chronicles of the pandemic - Germany 4 years
- Chronicles of the pandemic - Russia 4 years
- Chronicles of the pandemic - USA 4 years