The gorilla troop at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park is recovering following the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans, in several troop members earlier this month.

In keeping with the latest guidance set forth from the Governor’s Office, the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park will reopen to the public on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021, ending an almost two-month-long closure that began December 7, 2020.

Members of the Gorilla Troop at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. On Wednesday, January 6, two of the gorillas began coughing. Given current circumstances, San Diego Zoo Global initiated the process of testing fecal samples from the gorillas for SARS-CoV-2 through the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (CA HFS). 

Although the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park are closed to guests, the animals are still celebrating the holidays. Wildlife care specialists created holiday wreaths for the pygmy hippos and takins at the Zoo and for the elephants at the Safari Park.