A visitor ‘favorite’ ape dies at Jax Zoo, the 4th from Shigella outbreak

A fourth primate has died at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens within a month from a Shigella outbreak.

The zoo made the announcement Tuesday in a post on social media. The latest death was a 3-year-old Western lowland gorilla named Kevin. The zoo said Kevin was born in April 2021 and was a “favorite” of visitors.

“Being the youngest of his troop, his playful and spirited personality often led him to engage in roughhousing and wrestling with many of his family members. At three years apart, he and his half-sister Gandai developed a strong bond and could regularly be seen together,” The zoo said in the social media post.

Shigella is a bacteria that causes shigellosis, a disease that affects the intestines. Humans can also contract Shigella, but the effects of the disease can be severe in apes because they have a harder time fighting it off.

On Aug. 22, the zoo announced a 35-year-old gorilla named Bulera had died , and then four days later two bonobos named Jumanji and Jenga died from the disease.

Shigella is highly contagious and typically spreads via feces, food or water. The zoo said it has taken steps to quarantine the animals in the primate section and all the staff who care for the animals wear personal protective equipment to prevent the spread of the disease.

The zoo said it’s still treating several apes for the disease and they are in various stages of treatment and recovery. Those recovery stages are fluid and may take some time.

Visit Jacksonvillezoo.org/shigella for more information, including how the zoo is asking the public to help with the apes’ care.

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