Portland, OR – With the recent discovery that tigers and other felines can carry the covid-19 virus, Oregon Zoo keepers are enforcing social distancing between their two Amur tigers, Eloise and Bernadette.
“Normally, Ellie and Bernie like to cuddle up while napping, but we’re making sure that doesn’t happen,” says Zookeeper Ronnie Shotzky. “Our amazing staff keep watch day and night, holding up a 6-foot length of bamboo whenever the tigers get near each other, to make sure they’re keeping far enough apart. Tragically, our tiger staff is down to 3 from 5 but that’s only because the other two got eaten. It comes with the territory.”
Asked why the tigers aren’t just kept in different enclosures, Shotzky replied, “We only have one enclosure that is specifically for tigers. Even if we moved one to a different enclosure, that would mean displacing whatever animal was already there. You keep going with that scenario, and eventually you run out of places to put the animals you move.”
As an extra precaution, the tigers are being fitted with N95 masks. “So far, they have bitten all of us, and they won’t keep the masks on, but we won’t give up,” said Shotzky. “Even if it kills the rest of us.”
