By JASMYN BEMBOOM
Staff Writer
Three western lowland gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park have tested positive for the coronavirus. They are the world’s first known great apes to contact the virus. Lisa Peterson says, “The gorillas, who live in a troop of eight are expected to recover.”
The caretakers decided to have all eight gorillas together so they can monitor them closely. The gorillas are the seventh animal species to have contacted the virus naturally, confirmed infection in tigers, lions, snow leopards, dogs and domestic cats. The three infected gorillas probably contracted the virus from an asymptomatic zoo worker.
On January 6th two of the gorillas first began coughing. The three gorillas are still showing symptoms which includes running noses.
Fewer than 5,000 gorillas remain in the wild, they live in close family groups, researchers worry that if one caught the virus it can quickly spread and jeopardize the other animals.