Two hippos become first in the world to test positive for Covid at zoo

Hippos Imani, aged 14, and 41-year-old Hermien, from a zoo in Antwerp, Belgium have tested positive for Covid – in what are thought to be the first cases in the species

Two hippos are thought to be the first in the world to contract Covid after testing positive for the virus at a zoo.

Hippos Imani, aged 14, and 41-year-old Hermien have no symptoms apart from a runny nose, but the zoo said the pair had been put into quarantine as a precaution.

“To my knowledge, this is the first time in this species. Worldwide, this virus has been reported mainly in great apes and felines,” said the zoo’s vet, Francis Vercammen.

Pets including cats, dogs and ferrets have become infected following contact with their owners, while in zoos, cases have been reported in animals such as big cats, otters, primates and hyenas.

The disease has also spread in mink farms and to wild animals, such as deer.

Antwerp Zoo is investigating the causes of the contagion.

None of the zookeepers had recently shown COVID-19 symptoms or tested positive for the virus, the zoo said.

Last month a pet dog became the first pooch to become infected with the virus in the UK.

The pup apparently caught the virus from its owners.

The infection was confirmed following tests at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) laboratory in Weybridge, Surrey, last week.

It is believed the dog, which is recovering at home, contracted coronavirus from its owners, who had previously tested positive for the virus.