At the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, eight of the animals were discovered dead on Sunday, and one more passed away on Monday following strange behavior.
Experts have been summoned in to perform toxicological testing and necropsies, and parts of the zoo have been blocked off and disinfected, according to Hong Kong leader John Lee.
A De Brazza’s monkey, a common squirrel monkey, four white-faced sakis, and three cotton-top tamarins—a species that the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists as highly endangered—were among the dead creatures.
According to the authorities, zoo employees are also keeping an eye on a De Brazza’s monkey that was acting strangely.
It also stated that all 80 other animals in the gardens were healthy.
According to Jason Baker, senior vice president of animal rights organization PETA Asia, the fatalities sparked worries about a potential outbreak of a zoonotic illness like monkeypox, which can spread from animals to people.
According to him, captive monkeys are frequently exposed to viruses that can cause diseases like cholera, MRSA, Chagas disease, and tuberculosis that can be spread to humans.
