Hong Kong’s John Lee says sudden monkey deaths ‘must be contained’, vows to uncover cause
‘I hope our chemists can finish the tests as soon as possible to inform us of the cause behind these nine animals’ deaths,’ city leader says
Authorities need to contain and control the problem that killed nine monkeys at a Hong Kong zoo, the city leader has said, pledging to uncover the cause as soon as possible.
The mammals section of the zoo has been closed since Monday morning, after three cotton-top tamarins, three white-faced saki monkeys, a De Brazza’s monkey and a common squirrel monkey were found dead the previous day.
Another white-faced saki monkey died on Monday morning, while a De Brazza’s monkey which also displayed similar symptoms such as an abnormal appetite and behaviour was placed under observation.
“As of now, the relevant section in the zoo has been boarded up and disinfected. We first need to contain the problem and control it,” Lee said ahead of a weekly meeting of the government’s key decision-making Executive Council.
Lee said Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung chaired a cross-departmental meeting on Monday.
