Western Lowland Gorilla

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World's Oldest Male Gorilla Has COVID

A dozen others in addition to Ozzie have also tested positive at Zoo Atlanta

(Newser) - The coronavirus has overtaken more than a dozen gorillas at Zoo Atlanta, officials say, including the oldest male gorilla in the world. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Ozzie —a 60-year-old, 350-pound silverback who's sired 12 gorillas at the zoo and is said to be a "terrific father"...

Family Skirmish Ends Poorly for Baby Gorilla

Kitoko undergoes neurosurgery after he's apparently accidentally bitten by family member

(Newser) - A baby gorilla was badly injured at a Seattle zoo on Saturday when he was caught in a skirmish between his family group. Animal health experts at the Woodland Park Zoo say little Kitoko was bitten on the head, likely by accident when another gorilla tried to bite his mother,...

New Study Finds Both Good News and Bad for Gorillas
There Are More Gorillas
Than We Thought
study says
Apr 26, 2018 4:59 PM CDT

There Are More Gorillas Than We Thought

But new study also finds bad news for western lowland gorillas

(Newser) - Although still highly vulnerable, there are more western lowland gorillas than previously thought, a new study finds. Over a 10-year period, scientists scoured 72,000 square miles of western equatorial Africa on foot patrols studying nests and other clues, reports the Guardian . Earlier estimates placed the gorilla population at 150,...

Source: No Charges Against Parents in Harambe Case

'Be calm,' mom urges boy in 911 call

(Newser) - "Justice for Harambe" is unlikely to involve criminal charges for the parents of the 3-year-old boy who fell into the gorilla exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo, sources say. A source close to the investigation tells the Cincinnati Enquirer that cops have wrapped up their investigation into the fatal shooting...

Zoo Faces Backlash for Killing Gorilla to Save Boy

Protesters want 'Justice for Harambe'

(Newser) - Did the gorilla have to die? The Cincinnati Zoo is facing an angry backlash for shooting Harambe, an endangered gorilla, dead after a 4-year-old boy fell in its enclosure Saturday, CNN reports. Protesters who accuse the zoo of using excessive force gathered outside the zoo Sunday and the #JusticeforHarambe movement...

2nd-Deadliest HIV Group Traced to Its Source
 2nd-Deadliest 
 HIV Group 
 Traced to 
 Its Source 
in case you missed it
Mar 7, 2015 7:00 PM CST

2nd-Deadliest HIV Group Traced to Its Source

The origins of all 4 HIV groups have now been pinpointed

(Newser) - Of the four identified groups of human AIDS viruses—HIV-1 M, N, O, and P—only M and N had been traced to their source. Until now. Researchers from institutions around the world, including the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine , are reporting that the origins of groups O (the...

Human, Gorilla DNA: Just 1.75% of It Is Different
Human, Gorilla DNA:
Just 1.75% of It Is Different
scientists say
Mar 8, 2012 10:04 AM CST

Human, Gorilla DNA: Just 1.75% of It Is Different

Western lowland gorilla DNA decoded by scientists

(Newser) - In decoding the DNA of a western lowland gorilla, scientists made a discovery that may surprise you: Humans and gorillas differ in just 1.75% of their DNA, making our genomes more similar than previously thought. That percentage actually drops to 1.37% when compared to chimpanzees, our closest living...

Congo Battles Gorilla Pet Trade

World's only sanctuary for orphaned gorillas seeks to boost tourist numbers

(Newser) - Conservationists trying to save the Republic of Congo's gorillas are fighting to protect the primates from poachers and the pet trade, the Daily Telegraph reports. One foundation, which warns that the gorilla population will be half what it is now by 2020 at the current rate of extermination, has founded...

Huge Gorilla Population Found in Congo

125,000 endangered primates located in northern Congo Republic

(Newser) - As recently as last year, the western lowland gorilla was listed as one of the world's most critically endangered primate species, nearly wiped out by the Ebola virus. But an arduous survey has revealed that 125,000 gorillas are living in the northern Congo Republic, deep in a swampy region...

Heart Disease Is Killing Caged Gorillas

Experts try to treat mystery ailment in US zoos

(Newser) - Gorillas in US zoos are dying from heart disease, and no one knows why, the AP reports. Zookeepers and scientists started a nationwide “Gorilla Health Project” 2 years ago to probe the causes of fibrosing cardiomyopathy, a condition that turns heart muscle into useless fibers and has left scores...

Taming Gorilla Heart Disease a Beastly Task

With great apes dying at alarming rates, zoos try to train some difficult patients

(Newser) - With heart disease nearly epidemic among America’s captive gorilla population, zookeepers are trying to train the great apes to submit to the human medical procedures that could save their lives. But getting a gorilla to sit still for a blood test is a taxing problem, one the National Zoo...

'Extinction Crisis' Threatens 40% of Species

Watchdog group sees serious danger to one in four mammals

(Newser) - More than 16,000 species are in serious danger of extinction, including one in four mammals and one in three amphibians being monitored by a global conservation group. With 40% of 40,000 surveyed species facing the highest levels of threat, “We’re at code red,” a top...

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