Gorillas In The Midst Of An Outbreak

But Ebola may prove far more devastating to man’s closest relatives. The Wildlife Conservation Society, based at the Bronx Zoo, suggests that huge numbers of gorillas and chimps may have died in an Ebola epidemic in the area five years ago. And the new outbreak may not be over–another chimp was found dead in the park last week, according to Jean-Marc Froment of ECOFAC, a regional conservation group. “We may be heading into a catastrophe,” he says.

–Tom Masland