PULLMAN, Wash. — Travis King, a Ph.D researcher for Washington State University, is back home after the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak forced him to shelter in Honduras.
“From getting to the airport in Honduras to getting out of the airport in Spokane was about 30 hours,” King explained.
King has spent the last four years living in Central America studying big cats and large mammals. When the coronavirus forced him to evacuate back to the states, he had to go through a long process before departing the country.
“It was a lot of work,” he said. “It was probably seven days of just nonstop everything changing. No one knows quite for sure if everything is going to work out.”
He had several flights canceled on him throughout the whole process. All while working with the U.S embassy, locals in Honduras and his school to find a solution.
It wasn’t until Thursday when a commercial flight through United finally got him in the air and brought him to Houston before catching a later flight to Spokane.
“I spent almost all of last night just telling people I made it. Just because there were so many people who did have invested interest in getting me home so I do really appreciate all that help.”
With all of his traveling, he’s decided to self isolate for the next 14 days as he adjusts to being back home.
He’s unsure when he’ll be able to go back to Honduras for his research. In the meantime, he’ll focus on logistics with his network that’s still in the country.
“I’m really looking forward once this quiets down to going back. It’s a really great country, great people and I’ve been able to really benefit a lot.”