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Busch Gardens mourning loss of 37-year-old gorilla

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Published  September 2, 2024 11:51am EDT
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
FOX 13 News

Second gorilla dies at Busch Gardens

Jennifer Kveglis reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - Jim, a 37-year-old western lowland gorilla, is the second gorilla to pass away at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in three weeks.

Gorilla deaths are something zoos across Florida have been dealing with. Busch Gardens says both Jim and Tinga are undergoing necropsises to determine their causes of death. It did confirm that Jim was sick and undergoing treatment but ultimately did not survive.

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Whistleblowers told FOX 13 that they believe this is linked to shigella, a highly contagious bacteria that's spread through human feces.

The symptoms of the bacterium include diarrhea, vomiting, cramps and dehydration.

Zoos in Florida, like the Jacksonville Zoo, have reported shigella cases in their great apes. Three, including two brothers, Jumanji and Jenga, all died from a "shigella infection."

Pictured: Tinga

A 35-year-old gorilla named Bulera also passed away in August from the bacterial infection. Bulera was a mother of two.

Doctor Jenna Wallace was a marine mammal and zoo veterinarian for 20 years. She left the industry and now serves as a voice for misconduct in the zoo business.

Wallace says the deaths of Jim and Tinga are not surprising.

RELATED: Busch Gardens gorilla dies after brief illness: ‘Our hearts are broken’

"It just makes me very concerned about what types of practices Busch Gardens is doing right now in regards to sanitizing, cleaning. Staff washing their hands," shared Wallace. "We know that there were three to six great apes transferred between Jacksonville and Busch Gardens earlier this year and Jacksonville just lost three great apes to Shigella, and now we have these two deaths that we suspect are related to Shigella."

FOX 13 asked Busch Gardens if the deaths of Tinga and Jim could be linked to shigella. A spokesperson said the vets don't want to speculate before the necropsies are completed.

FOX 13 also asked Busch Gardens if great apes were transferred from the Jacksonville Zoo at any point but have not heard back.

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