3 Primates Die at Jacksonville Zoo in Less Than a Week from the Same Contagious Infection

“This infection may have periods of improvement and relapse, so we continue to closely monitor the situation,” the zoo said

A zoo in Florida is mourning the death of three of its primates, who died from shigella.

Within days, the bacteria, which causes shigellosis and produces symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, cramps, and dehydration, led to the death of three gorillas at Florida’s Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.

The first death was that of Bulera, a 35-year-old female western lowland gorilla, which the zoo announced in a Facebook update on Thursday, Aug. 22.

Bulera was born at Lincoln Park Zoo in 1989 and arrived at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens with her daughter Madini in 2009.

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She gave birth to a son named George in 2015 and became a foster mother to Gandai, an infant whose biological mother couldn’t raise him, in 2019.

“She protected and nurtured Gandai, allowing her to rejoin the troop after five months of round-the-clock care by humans. Bulera even brought Gandai to Care Specialists for bottle feedings,” the zoo said.

On Monday, Aug. 26, the zoo announced via Facebook that the brother bonobos Jumanji and Jenga had also died from shigella.

Jumanji was born in 1996 at San Diego Zoo Safari Park and arrived at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens with his parents and sister in 2008.

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“He was a sweet and gentle soul, a laid-back kind of guy who was friendly to all other bonobos,” the zoo said, noting that he “sweetly supported” his younger brother Jenga when their mother died in 2018.

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Jenga, born at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens in June 2011, is remembered as a “goofball that loved to play with others and cause a little mischief, but always put a smile on people’s faces.” He was the first bonobo birth that staff witnessed “since it occurred during the day instead of overnight.”

The zoo notes that the brothers both had existing heart conditions, which made them more vulnerable to shigella.

“As difficult as it is to lose Jumanji and Jenga, our Animal Health and Care teams remain committed to doing everything possible to help the apes recover from this infection,” the zoo said in its announcement.

“While many of the apes are at various stages of treatment and recovery, thanks to our team’s hard work and resilience, we’ve seen significant progress,” the announcement continued. “This infection may have periods of improvement and relapse, so we continue to closely monitor the situation.”

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The zoo notes on its website that while the infection is highly contagious, it typically spreads via feces, food or water, causing no danger to guests.

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