By Nicholas Osei-Wusu
A health screening exercise has been organized for some monkeys, particularly primates, at the Kumasi Zoo.
The animals were screened for diseases such as tuberculosis, pathogens, and viral infections to enable the zoo’s management to take appropriate steps to protect both the animals and humans from potential infections.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and some health experts have concluded that some contagious diseases among humans globally are traceable to animals such as monkeys.
Besides, the animals must receive treatment to ensure they live healthy lives, especially after being rescued from the wild. This is particularly important for endangered species like the white-naped mangabey primates.
The Kumasi Zoo houses more than 250 individual animal exhibits, including monkeys of different species that undergo routine health checks.
However, this year’s exercise focused on the white-naped mangabey monkeys, which are being bred at the zoo due to the threat of their extinction in the wild.
The health screening exercise was jointly organized by the management of the Kumasi Zoo under the auspices of the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission and the West Africa Primate Conservation Action (WAPCA), an international non-governmental organization based in the United Kingdom. It was conducted in partnership with Wildlife Vet International and supported by the School of Veterinary Medicine at the College of Health Sciences, KNUST.
The screening exercise aimed to determine the animals’ TB status, detect viruses and pathogens, and ensure they had no underlying health conditions that could have a ripple effect on humans.
Blood samples were also taken from the animals for in-country and external laboratory tests to analyze their genetic makeup.
The team, made up of veterinarians and other experts, weighed the monkeys and checked their body temperature before releasing them back into their respective cages to regain consciousness.
The Programme Manager for West Africa Primate Conservation Action, Miss Andrea Dimpsey, expressed serious concern that the white-naped mangabey primates face the danger of extinction, as they are now found only in limited forest reserves in Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Burkina Faso due to factors such as illegal mining (galamsey).
“These forests are getting smaller and smaller due to deforestation and galamsey, which means the monkeys are losing their homes, and there will be no food for them, leading to their decline. Of course, the bushmeat trade and hunting during the closed season also affect their survival. It is possible to recover these species if we come together and make an effort to protect them,” she stated.
The Manager of the Kumasi Zoo, Dr. Meyir Ziekah, who is also an epidemiologist, told GBC that the exercise was also intended to help management understand the health conditions of the animals to determine the necessary measures to protect both them and humans.
He explained, “We all know that about 60% of infectious diseases that affect humans originate from animals, and about 70% of these come from wild animals. So, it is important to understand what these animals are carrying so that we can take the necessary measures—either to treat them or prevent the spillover of diseases from animals to humans. Additionally, when they are eventually released into the wild, we must prevent the spread of pathogens to other animals.”
For the student veterinarians from KNUST who participated in the exercise, it was a valuable practical experience that complemented their theoretical studies in the lecture halls.
“We’ve learned how to anesthetize the animals, follow procedural steps, weigh the animals, take hair and blood samples, and how to reverse anesthesia,” said Moses Essiam on behalf of the group.
The health screening exercise was also aimed at preparing the animals for a possible future release back into the wild, ensuring that they do not transmit diseases to other animals in their natural habitat.
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