Gorillas in the Midst of an Outbreak
Gorillas have it rough. They’re hunted and killed for bushmeat, their habitat is rapidly being destroyed, and they’re one of Africa’s most endangered species.
On top of all the perils gorillas face on a daily basis, add one more to the list: Ebola.
A new study reports that the Ebola virus recently killed thousands of western gorillas in the Congo Republic. Researchers studied western gorillas (a distinct species from eastern gorillas) in northwestern Congo Republic since 1995. The New York Times interviewed Peter Walsh, one of the authors of the report, which appears today in Science.
From the NYT article:
They [researchers] estimate that between 2002 and 2005, Ebola has killed 3,500 to 5,500 gorillas in a region of about 2,000 square miles—and that figure, they say, is a conservative one. Dr. Walsh said it was his “educated guess” that since 1992, Ebola may have killed as many as a quarter of the world’s gorillas.
Researchers also reported that if poaching, habitat loss, and the virus’s spread continue at current rates, western gorillas could be wiped out entirely.
This news really bummed us out—but it’s good to know that gorillas have a whole lot of friends. To view photos of gorillas, or to adopt a gorilla and help conserve the species, visit the World Wildlife Fund site.
-Sarah Parsons
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