‘Feeling the weight of this grief:’ Jax Zoo still treating sick apes after 3 die from infection

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Officials at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens are working overtime to treat several great apes infected with a bacterial infection called Shigella.

Some of the animals seem to be in better shape than others.

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One of the zoo’s gorillas underwent an emergency procedure Wednesday afternoon, but zoo staff announced several apes are believed to have recovered from the infection.

The Wednesday press conference followed the deaths of three of the zoo’s great apes -- western lowlands gorilla Bulera and bonobos Jumanji and Jenga.

RELATED: Wildlife expert, city leader, zoo-goers weigh in on death of 3 great apes at Jacksonville Zoo

At least three gorillas are undergoing treatment and one bonobo is under close monitoring.

After the great ape enclosures were fully closed Tuesday, some of the apes were released back into their environments by Wednesday.

Zoo officials explained the ordeal has been emotionally taxing on the staff and costly for the facility, which has called in outside experts to assist in treatment and daily work around the zoo.

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They also emphasized the current situation poses no threat to zoo visitors.

While Shigella can be contracted by humans, it’s generally mild and difficult to spread without direct contact with tainted food or water.

Zoo CEO Jeff Ettling said the zoo will continue providing updates as the situation develops and thanked the public for the support they’ve provided during this difficult time.

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“We’re feeling the weight of this grief as we continue to care for the rest of our animals. The care and wellbeing of our animal residents are at the heart of everything we do here at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens and those losses are felt deeply across our entire team,” Ettling said. “We are doing everything in our power to manage the infection and our animal care and health teams have been working around the clock to provide the best possible care.”

Zoo officials noted the way the bacterial infection was introduced is still a mystery, with the most likely scenario being the disease was dormant in an asymptomatic ape that began to shed the bacteria for an unknown reason.

Other possibilities include tainted water or food, or even a human carrier, though officials believe those scenarios are less likely to be the case.

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