This Monday, the Florida zoo revealed on Facebook that a fourth ape had passed away from a shigella infection that had been affecting animals at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens for weeks.
Three-year-old western lowland gorilla Kevin “succumbed to the illness,” according to the zoo.
“He battled the virus valiantly, occasionally displaying signs of recovery,” according to the zoo. “Kevin’s sickness was too much for him to recover from, even with the tireless efforts of our Animal Health and Care specialists working around the clock to save him.”
Three other apes, a lowland gorilla, and two brother bonobo money, perished from the shigella outbreak, the zoo announced last month, while other apes were receiving treatment for symptoms.
The museum stated that it is “committed to attending to the apes’ needs and exerting constant effort to aid the creatures while they recuperate.”
According to the zoo, “Numerous apes are “in various stages of healing and rehabilitation,” and it is still “making significant progress.”
The zoo did note that shigella is “highly infectious,” though and that recovery “may take time to fully resolve.”
According to the zoo, shigella is a bacteria that causes shigellosis, an intestinal illness that manifests as diarrhea, vomiting, cramping, dehydration, and other symptoms. It further stated that the virus can be more severe in the ape population and that it usually spreads by excrement, food, and water.
Regarding the outbreak, the zoo stated, “We continue to keep a careful eye on the issue and implement stringent biosecurity protocols.”
Father Lash and mother Madini welcomed Kevin into the world in April 2021 at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, according to the zoo.
“He was a favorite among guests as a boisterous young man,” according to the zoo. “As the youngest member of his troop, he frequently got into wrestling matches and roughhousing with many of his family members because of his energetic and lively nature.”