Three snow leopards have died at the Lincoln children’s zoo in Nebraska of complications from Covid-19.
The zoo made the announcement in a Facebook post on Friday, describing the deaths of the three leopards – named Ranney, Everest, and Makalu – as “truly heartbreaking”.
“Ranney, Everest and Makalu were beloved by our entire community inside and outside of the zoo,” the statement said. “This loss is truly heartbreaking, and we are all grieving together.”
The zoo began treating the leopards and two Sumatran tigers for the virus last month. The zoo said the tigers, Axl and Kumar, have made a recovery.
The zoo said it remains open to the public and continues to take precautions to prevent the spread of Covid-19 to humans and animals.
Zoos across the country, including at the St Louis zoo and the Denver zoo, have battled Covid-19 outbreaks among their animals.