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Bonobo brothers die of bacterial infection at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

Bonobo brothers die of bacterial infection at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

JACKSONVILLE, Florida. – Two bonobo brothers, Jumanji and Jenga, died at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens after contracting shigella, a bacterial infection that affects the zoo’s monkeys.

The deaths of Jumanji and Jenga were announced Monday, four days after zoo officials notified the public of the death of Bulera, a 35-year-old female western lowland gorilla who also died of Shigella.

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The zoo said Jumanji was born in 1996 at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and was brought to the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens with his parents and sister in 2008.

“He was a sweet and gentle soul, a laid-back guy who was friendly to all the other bonobos,” the zoo wrote in a Facebook post.

According to the zoo, male bonobos stay with their mother for life and rely heavily on her for protection and social status. However, Jumanji’s mother died in 2018 and Jumanji “graciously” helped his younger brother Jenga adjust.

Jenga was born in 2011 at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens and is described as “a goofball who loved to play with others and get up to a little mischief, but always brought a smile to people’s faces.”

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The zoo said the brothers suffered from heart conditions, making them more susceptible to Shigella.

Shigella, which causes intestinal problems, is highly contagious and has already infected other monkeys at the zoo, prompting extensive care by zoo teams, the zoo said. The zoo is taking all necessary precautions to prevent further spread of the infection.

“As difficult as it is to lose Jumanji and Jenga, our animal health and care teams remain committed to doing everything possible to help the monkeys recover from this infection. Although many of the monkeys are in varying stages of treatment and recovery, we have made significant progress thanks to the hard work and resilience of our team,” the zoo wrote.

You can read the zoo’s entire post below.

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