No, this isn’t a Babylon Bee satire piece…

Gorillas in Atlanta Zoo Test Positive for COVID After They Begin Coughing; All Signs Point to Fully Vaccinated Handler

The Case of the Coughing Gorillas apparently has been solved, and the culprit likely is a handler who was vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Thirteen western lowland gorillas at Zoo Atlanta have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The gorillas have been acting like humans who come down with the disease, showing symptoms of mild coughing, nasal discharge and loss of appetite, zoo officials said.

Testing was done on fecal samples and nasal and oral swabs to confirm the apes had COVID-19.

Zoo officials said in a statement that “members” of its gorilla population tested positive for COVID, but they did not specify a number.

The officials said they cannot be certain how the animals were infected, but “the Animal Care and Veterinary Teams believe the infections originated with a COVID-positive care team member. The team member is fully vaccinated, was wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and was asymptomatic on the day of reporting to work.”

The zoo, which told the Journal-Constitution it has not mandated vaccinations for its employees, said the animals were infected “in an area of the Zoo where COVID safety protocols are already at their most stringent.”

The zoo announced it will upgrade its protocols, although handlers who interacted with the gorillas already were wearing masks and gloves.

“Team members never share the same physical space with the gorillas, and all interactions take place on opposite sides of a barrier with social distancing in place where practical. Team members also adhere to strict PPE protocols and social distancing guidelines among themselves,” the zoo stated….

If you aren’t already sitting in a corner rocking and banging your head against a wall, you can READ THE REST HERE

Brian J. who brought this article to my attention, suggested (jokingly) that it might be time to get all the animals masked up. He also joked that maybe they’ll have to get jabbed, but reading through the article, that eventuality has indeed come to pass. “Welcome to Clown World”. Martin