Jacksonville Zoo gorilla dies unexpectedly at age 35

Staff and visitors at the Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens are mourning the unexpected loss of a 35-year-old female gorilla due to an illness.

The zoo said in a post on Facebook on Thursday that the gorilla named Bulera died unexpectedly due to shigella. Shigella is a bacteria that mainly affects the intestines and can cause digestive complications.

The zoo said the illness can be more severe with apes since they have a harder time fighting off the bacteria.

“Although we may never know the exact source, the bacteria may have come from an asymptomatic ape or, though unlikely, a staff member,” the zoo said in the post.

Since Shigella is highly contagious. The zoo is treating other apes in the primate section that have shown symptoms. The zoo said it has 10 gorillas and most of the apes have shown symptoms. The animals are at different stages of recovery.

The animals are staying in their indoor spaces so staff can monitor and care for them.

The zoo said Bulera was born at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago in 1989. She came to Jacksonville in 2009 with her daughter, Madini, to be a companion for a silverback gorilla, Quito.

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