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Our Animals Are Our #1 Priority 24/7

Bill Zeigler, Dr. Mike Adkesson, Do veterinary staff members have the necessary veterinary
Sr. VP of Animal Programs VP of Clinical Medicine supplies and medications to care for the animals?

While the zoo is closed, our amazing animal care Keeping our staff safe and our animals healthy is our number-one
staff is working 24/7 to make sure our animals priority. Our clinical veterinarians and veterinary technicians are working
are fed and cared for each and every day. William in two teams to perform procedures, administer medications, and
Zeigler, senior vice president of Animal Programs provide the highest quality of veterinary care to our animal population.
and Dr. Mike Adkesson, vice president of Clinical The teams alternate daily coverage. This way, if one team is impacted
Medicine, answer a few reader questions below. by COVID-19 infections, the other team remains healthy and able to
provide veterinary care. Given that many of our animals have very
Who is caring for the animals while the zoo is closed? specialized needs, we maintain sufficient veterinary inventory to
provide care for our animals for several weeks. While we don’t have any
Our Animal Care Staff continues to work around the clock to take shortages yet, we are already working to address potential shortages
care of our animal population. They are a very dedicated group, and that may occur if the pandemic continues for an extended period.
we are proud of their commitment to ensuring our animals stay
healthy and well taken care of during the COVID-19 pandemic.
How do you keep the animal care specialists
healthy and their workspaces germ-free?
Are there changes in the animals’ routines,
or difficulty acquiring food for them? We are constantly monitoring the evolving requirements of the CDC
and the State of Illinois. Our incredible animal care and veterinary care
We make it a priority to maintain our routines as close to “normal” teams are on-site with the animals every day. They are carefully following
as possible so we don’t negatively influence the animals’ behaviors all recommendations from the CDC and public health officials to minimize
or disrupt their feeding routines. For food, we are fortunate to the risk of transmission of COVID-19. These recommendations include
have little interruption to our deliveries; but, we are working social distancing, frequent hand washing, mask wearing, disinfection of
to make sure we have a minimum 8-week supply in on-site shared surfaces, and staying home from work if they feel sick or if there
storage just in case there are interruptions to availability. are any illnesses in the household.

Can Brookfield Zoo animals get COVID-19?

Only a small number of species have been demonstrated
to be susceptible to COVID-19, including primates, bats, and
some carnivores. Our veterinarians and staff are closely
monitoring the latest research related to the virus to ensure
we are keeping our animals as safe as possible. When working
around potentially susceptible species, our staff is taking
added precautions including reduced contact, no face-to-face
encounters, and the wearing of gloves and masks. Our normal
cleaning and disinfection protocols prevent the spread of many
different infectious organisms, including the COVID-19 virus.

6 GATEWAYS | COVID-19 UPDATE