For primate sanctuaries, the threats to their financial stability and to their workforce are compounded by the possibility that the virus could jump the species barrier and infect other primate species. It is currently assumed that chimpanzees could contract the virus, though there have not yet been documented cases of it. There have been cases of rhesus macaques contracting Coronavirus, however, which does not bode well for all the hundreds of species currently in the care of primate sanctuaries.
Accordingly, the sanctuaries are ramping up their safety precautions. I was happy to talk to the New York Times about how this is functioning because it is an incredibly important topic right now, and not something that the average person might consider. Read the article here.
