In a devastating incident that has rocked the city, a group of anti-vaccine advocates found themselves in a dire predicament, proving not their intended point about vaccines but rather about the importance of respecting wildlife barriers. A captive lion in the Singapore Lion Reserve, rumored to be a silent carrier of the SARS-CoV-2, tore the arms off two anti-vaxxers during their ill-fated demonstration.
'We were there, just advocating our natural immunity and chanting 'My Body, My Choice' when the unthinkable happened', lamented Carl 'Sleeves' Johnson, an eyewitness and strident anti-vaxxer. The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when the group, on their immunization protest tour, stopped by the lion enclosure. Their strong belief in natural immunity had them, quite ironically, ignoring warning signs and barriers between themselves and the believed SARS-CoV-2 carrying lion.
Singapore Lion Reserve official, Dr. Edna Warwick, stated in a press conference, 'Not only did they endanger themselves, but also the life of the lion, who could have very easily contracted a human borne illness.' There is no scientific evidence yet as to the potentiality of lions contracting human diseases, but this incident has cascaded into a worldwide concern about the transmission of diseases between human and wildlife populations.
'These people showed total disregard for their safety and the safety of the animals,' said Warwick, shaking her head solemnly. 'All our warning signs are there for a reason.'
A bystander quoted the moment as surreal, 'It was like watching a public service announcement in real life! Do these folks think of anything other than vaccines?'
While some may argue that the incident underscores the dangers of anthropogenic transmission of diseases, what seems to really stand out is the striking demonstration of the consequences of ignorance and a steadfast refusal to respect safety guidelines. There is a lesson to be learned; albeit the hard way.
Based on: Human-to-lion COVID transmission confirmed: Singapore study rings alarm bells for endangered species