Thought of the Day - We May Not Be the Only Creatures Affected

Hi All,

Evolutionarily speaking, gorillas really aren’t that different from humans. As such, mountain gorillas are already known to be susceptible to various human illnesses, such as scabies. In fact, according to the WWF, the common cold can kill a gorilla. If a simple cold, an ailment that humans can recover from in a matter of days, can do that, Covid-19 could potentially do great harm.

The Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to about a third of the African mountain gorilla population. Park officials said in a statement ten days ago that they have decided to close the park to all visitors immediately until June 1st due to “advice from scientific experts indicating that primates, including mountain gorillas, are likely susceptible to complications arising from the COVID-19 virus.”

Besides the Congo, these intelligent apes also reside in Rwanda and Uganda. Rwanda just announced a national lockdown and closed its borders to foreigners, so it’s safe to say there won’t be any tourists there anytime soon. Meanwhile, in Uganda, officials haven’t announced an official shutdown on gorilla trips, but there’s virtually no need because all tourism business has ground to a halt in the wake of COVID-19.

This note is taken from an article in Ladders.Com.

Good to see some folk being proactive.

Cheers

Cliff