Gorilla tested for Covid-19 after fight with brother in Miami zoo

The 196 kilogram beast had to undergo several tests after he got into a violent fight with his brother

Images of a sedated gorilla getting tested for Covid-19 have been going viral. ‘Shango’, who is a resident of the Miami-Dade Zoological Park and Gardens, had to be tested for the virus after he got into a brawl with his brother, ‘Barney’.

The 31-year-old animal had to be anaesthetised so that his injuries could be examined. He underwent an X-ray, an ultrasound, a test for tuberculosis, a bronchoscopy, and a test for the novel coronavirus.

Shango tested negative for Covid-19.

The 433 pound animal had to be immobilised before his wounds were cleaned. While he had deep injuries, thankfully, no permanent damage was sustained.

“Because of the strength of adult male gorillas and the power of their bite, X-Rays were performed to ensure that there was no skeletal damage. None of the tests or procedures performed indicated any abnormalities and Shango recovered well from the anesthesia. He has since been returned to the gorilla area where he will be closely monitored as he continues to heal. No decision has been made on when Shango will be reintroduced to Barney as that will depend on behavioral assessments made by the staff combined with the healing progress of his injuries,” read a post from the Miami Zoo on Facebook on Friday.