Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens announces death of 4th ape from Shigella infection, 3-year-old Kevin

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Action News Jax has learned that another ape has died at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.

The Zoo announced on its social media pages Tuesday that 3-year-old lowland gorilla Kevin died of a Shigella infection.

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The bacteria causes severe intestinal issues and dehydration, and apes have an especially hard time fighting off the bacteria.

We told you last month about three other great ape deaths linked to Shigella infections at the Zoo -- western lowlands gorilla Bulera and bonobos Jumanji and Jenga. Managers at the Zoo say they have strict biosecurity measures in place as they monitor the situation.

Zoo officials explained during a news conference last month that 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 last month that 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 last month 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.

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

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

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