Virologist Who Funded Wuhan Lab Brazenly Posts Video In Thailand Cave With 2.5 Million Bats After COVID-19 Theories
Dec. 12 2022, Published 4:00 p.m. ET
Virologist Dr. Peter Daszak has come under fire for posting videos of himself and his research team in a Thailand-based cave with 2.5 million bats following widespread controversy over his ties to the Wuhan lab at the center of COVID-19 theories.
RadarOnline.com has discovered his brazen postings online sparked fury after a Vanity Fair expose claimed that his charity, EcoHealth Alliance, provided funding for the Wuhan Institute of Virology's Gain-of-function research.
The lab has been blamed for the negligent release of SARS-CoV-2 in late 2019, going on to become the worst global pandemic in 100 years.
Per EcoHealth Alliance's website, the visit to Thailand was part of U.S. government-funded research on "the risk of novel viral emergence" in the "hottest of [emerging infectious diseases] hotspots."
"In the heart of the bat cave — deafening noise as the bats swirl around. It's the sheer beauty of nature & at the same time it seems like the 'reactor core' of the colony given what we know about viral emergence. Ratchaburi Cave 2.5 million bats," he posted on December 9, showing two people wearing hazmat suits at the site.
Other tweets shared by Daszak show researchers clad in full protective gear handling the bats and feeding them before releasing some.
As we previously reported, the New York-based virologist and others tried to silence fears that COVID-19 leaked from a Chinese lab that he helped fund, suggesting that it was not man-made.
"We stand together to strongly condemn conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin," a statement signed by Daszak and 27 scientists read.
"Conspiracy theories do nothing but create fear, rumors, and prejudice that jeopardize our global collaboration in the fight against this virus," the statement continued.
Meanwhile, Daszak has since reposted a tweet in response to a scathing message from new Twitter CEO Elon Musk, who took aim at Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser to President Biden who led the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Musk accused Fauci of lying to Congress and funding gain-of-function research that "killed millions of people. Not awesome imo [in my opinion]," wrote the SpaceX founder.
Daszak reposted a tweet which called out Musk, reading, "Cannot understand why he tossed aside critical thinking regarding [COVID-19] origins in favor of thoroughly debunked far right conspiracies. Given we're both in Texas I would be happy to meet and educate him on viruses and vaccines."