On Dec. 11, 2020, the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories announced the first confirmed case of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) infection in a snow leopard at the Louisville Zoo in Kentucky. This was the first snow leopard in the U.S. to test positive for SARS-CoV-2.

All three of the snow leopards were expected to fully recover. It was suspected that they acquired the infection from an asymptomatic staff member, despite precautions taken by the zoo.