JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Bulera, a 35-year-old female western lowland gorilla at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, has passed away.
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She was born at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago in 1989. While there, she was hand-reared because of an injury that required lots of attention.
Twenty years later, Bulera and her daughter Madini were moved to Jacksonville as companions for the silverback Quito.
The pair were part of the zoo’s three-generation gorilla troop after Bulera and Madini both gave birth.
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According to the zoo, Bulera stole hearts in 2019 when she fostered an infant gorilla.
Bulera died because of Shigella. According to the zoo, the bacteria causes shigellosis, mainly affecting the intestines and causing symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, cramps, and dehydration. The zoo doesn’t know how Burela contracted the bacteria.
Shigella is highly contagious, and some of the other apes have started to show symptoms. They are all being treated.
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