A twelfth monkey has died at Hong Kong’s Zoological and Botanical Gardens, likely from the same bacterial infection that killed 11 others over the past 10 days.
The De Brazza’s monkey had been isolated since October 13, when the first deaths were reported. Officials suspect contaminated soil, tracked in by workers, caused the outbreak of melioidosis—a disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, a bacterium found in tropical regions.
Critically endangered cotton-top tamarins, white-faced sakis, and squirrel monkeys are among the victims. The zoo’s mammals section remains closed for disinfection, though the remaining 78 mammals are reportedly in stable health.
Animal rights activists have raised concerns about zoonotic risks, citing diseases like monkeypox and MRSA. Hong Kong last saw a melioidosis outbreak in 1975, killing 24 dolphins at Ocean Park.
