COVID-19 is a disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.  Although COVID-positive people can infect tigers and lions in zoos by close contact involved with caring for them, cats are not easily infected, and SARS-CoV-2 is not known to occur in any population of any wild cat species in nature. It is extremely unlikely that wild cats can transmit the virus that causes COVID-19 to humans.

An excerpt from testimony by Dr. Christian Walzer, Executive Director of WCS’s Health Programs, who is speaking today before the bipartisan leadership of the International Conservation Caucus.

In a single deliberate poisoning event, three Giant Ibis, equivalent to 1-2 percent of the global population, have been killed – part of a disturbing global trend where conservationists are noticing increases in hunting of protected species since the spread of coronavirus began to disrupt traditional economic and social systems in rural areas.

The bipartisan leadership of the International Conservation Caucus will convene a Virtual Briefing on Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at 3:00 PM EDT to examine links between the commercial trade and consumption of wildlife and disease outbreaks such as COVID-19, SARS, HIV, and Ebola, and to consider steps the United States can take to prevent future pandemics.

PREDICT will provide emergency support to other countries for outbreak response including technical support for early detection of SARS CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease COVID-19, through a six-month extension from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), effective April 1.

Animal and human health doctors and conservationists from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), University of Oslo, and Global Wildlife Conservation will give a “One Health” briefing on COVID-19 that looks at the links between wildlife, livestock, and humans.

To prevent future major viral outbreaks such as the COVID-19 outbreak, impacting human health, well-being, economies, and security on a global scale, WCS recommends stopping all commercial trade in wildlife for human consumption (particularly of birds and mammals) and closing all such markets.

COVID-19 is spreading globally through human-to-human transmission.  

In order to prevent future pandemics, our message with our partner, Global Wildlife Conservation, to policymakers is clear: stop the trade in wild animals. In particular, the highest risk taxa, mammals and birds.  Infographic available in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, and Chinese.  Download the graphics here. 

A disease already known for causing massive die-offs of wildlife in Asia is spreading.