JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens announced the heartbreaking and unexpected death of Bulera, a 35-year-old female western lowland gorilla, due to Shigella, a bacterial infection, on Aug. 22.
The zoo said Bulera was born at Lincoln Park Zoo in 1989, where she was fed and cared for by a person until she was fully grown due to an injury. She joined Jacksonville Zoo in 2009 with her daughter Madini, becoming part of a three-generation gorilla troop.
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Bulera was known by many after she became the foster mom to Gandai, an infant gorilla, in 2019.
Related: Baby gorilla introduced to surrogate mother at Jacksonville Zoo
Shigella, which causes intestinal issues, is highly contagious and has affected other apes at the zoo, leading to extensive care efforts by the zoo’s teams, the zoo said. The zoo is taking all necessary precautions to prevent further spread of the infection.
“Losing an animal is never easy, and Bulera’s loss is deeply felt,” Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens said in a post on social media. “We ask for your thoughts, love and support during this difficult time.”
You can read the full post from the zoo below.