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Gorillas doing well, recovering from COVID-19, zoo says

Zoo didn’t say how many were infected with coronavirus

Members of the Gorilla Troop are seen in their habitat on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021, at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido, Calif. Several gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park have tested positive for the coronavirus in what is believed to be the first known cases among such primates in the United States and possibly the world. It appears the infection came from a member of the park's wildlife care team who also tested positive for the virus but has been asymptomatic and wore a mask at all times around the gorillas. (Ken Bohn/San Diego Zoo Safari Park via AP) (Ken Bohn, SDZG 2021 © PERMITTED USE: Images and video(s) are provided to the media solely for reproduction, public display, and distributi)

Staff at the San Diego Zoo are relieved.

The zoo’s gorilla troop is recovering after several of the animals came down with coronavirus earlier this month.

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Eight gorillas make up the troop, but the zoo has not said exactly how many were infected with COVID-19.

The animals are eating, drinking and interacting with each other which suggests they will fully recover.

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Zoo veterinarians were especially concerned about one of the gorillas named Winston.

He is older and has underlying health conditions, so Winston was treated with a special monoclonal antibody treatment.

Zoo officials say the care and treatments given to their gorillas will help prepare other facilities for potential cases.