Endangered 3-year-old gorilla dies as epidemic sweeps Florida zoo. ‘Fought very hard’

The youngest of Jacksonville Zoo’s western lowland gorillas has died from an infection sweeping the zoo, officials say.

The critically endangered primate, 3-year-old Kevin, contracted shigella, a bacteria that causes the disease shigellosis, the Florida zoo said in a Sept. 10 news release.

“He fought very hard against the infection, showing signs of recovery at times. Despite the dedicated efforts of our Animal Health and Care teams, who worked around the clock to save him, Kevin was unable to overcome the illness.”

Shigella is a highly infectious bacteria that is now an epidemic among the zoo’s primates. The disease causes vomiting, cramps and dehydration.

Protocols for addressing shigella include quarantining infected apes and treating them with fluids and antibiotics.

Kevin is the fourth to die of the disease at the zoo, following another western lowland gorilla and two bonobo brothers.

The zoo said it doesn’t know how the animals ended up with shigellosis.

Kevin was born in 2021 to mother Madini and father Lash.

“As a rambunctious young male, he was a visitor favorite,” the zoo said. “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.”

He was closest with his half sister Gandai, and the two were regularly joined at the hip, officials said.

Western lowland gorillas are listed as critically endangered and are native to several Central African countries. In the wild, they can live up to 40 years, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare. In captivity, they can live even longer.

Keepers in Jacksonville are working to support the infected primates at the zoo.

“While many of the apes are at various stages of treatment and recovery, thanks to our team’s hard work and resilience, we continue to experience significant progress,” the zoo said. “Still, Shigella is highly infectious. Recovery within the apes may be fluid and may take time to fully resolve.”

This story was originally published September 11, 2024 at 5:43 PM with the headline "Endangered 3-year-old gorilla dies as epidemic sweeps Florida zoo. ‘Fought very hard’."