Page 10 - Zoo To You Spring 2021

How Two Tigers

Were Able to Aid

COVID-19 Research

When we discovered that our Sumatran
tigers Bugara and Indah contracted
COVID-19, we quickly sprang into action.

Zoo Keepers kept a close eye on the two, Zoo Veterinarians
were at the ready, and the CDC was on the phone. While
our tigers weren’t the first zoo animals to contract the
virus, they were the first known to have been trained for
voluntary blood collection. With this development, the
CDC was excited to learn about the voluntary blood draw
training and asked if we could supply them with samples to
be used for ongoing COVID-19 research.

Voluntary blood draw training on a tiger only requires five
items: meatballs, goat’s milk, a very patient Zoo Keeper, an
awesome Zoo Veterinarian, and a willing tiger.

Keeper Kristin has been caring for the tigers since 2006
and has been working to perfect voluntary blood draws for
eight years. It begins with Keeper Kristin cueing the tigers
into a chute and asking them to lay down with their hind
end towards the door, allowing the tail to gently slip under
the door. Once the tail is out, an additional arched barrier is
added to eliminate all space between the ground and the
door, leaving only the tail under the arch and no room for
fingers to slip beneath even accidentally.

Once in place, Veterinarian Kami cleans an area of the tail
with an alcohol wipe and collects the blood sample. While
all of this is happening, the tigers are focused on Keeper
Kristin, who is giving them an endless supply of meatballs
or goat’s milk from a squirt bottle for their efforts.

Bugara and Indah are now COVID-free, but their blood
samples are being used to learn more about this disease
in animals. By monitoring antibodies to COVID-19, we can
better understand how a tiger’s immune system responds
to the virus and get a better insight into how long natural
immunity might last after infection.

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