August 27, 2004 (Torino, Italy) – Scientists fear that emerging evidence may suggest a new outbreak of the ebola virus, which, in addition to threatening human lives, would threaten tens of thousands of great apes – in this case gorillas and chimpanzees – in the Republic of Congo. The findings were released at the International Primatological Society’s 20th Congress, being held this week in Turin, Italy.
Congo’s Odzala National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, contains an estimated 30,000 western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), the largest such population of the Endangered species in the world. Until recently, hundreds could regularly be spotted in Lokoue Bai, a natural clearing in the park where separate groups of the gorillas predictably congregated. But whereas 45 groups of gorillas (each with an average of eight individuals) were once normally observed there, the number has plummeted to only nine groups in recent months.
“We have not confirmed this as an outbreak of ebola yet, but there are clear indications that we need to take that possibility seriously,” said Dr. Dieudonnè Ankara, Great Apes Survival Project (GRASP) Focal Point for Congo, a veterinarian who confirmed these recent developments. “This situation demands serious attention, since another ebola outbreak would have devastating effects not only for wildlife, but for my neighbors who call the area home.”
Fewer than 100,000 western lowland gorillas remain on Earth. A study published in the journal Nature last year suggested that when an ebola outbreak affects a given area, more than 80 percent of all great apes living in that area die of the disease.
Odzala National Park is also home to other threatened species, including the Endangered chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), the Endangered African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis), and the Vulnerable lion (Panthera leo). The massive 13,600 square kilometer park sits in northeastern Congo, near the Gabonese border to the west and Cameroon to the north.
Scientists say that several courses of action should be taken immediately to determine if the sudden and dramatic disappearance of these gorillas is related to a new ebola outbreak:
- Field researchers already in the region, from groups including Ecofac, Wildlife Conservation Society and the University of Rennes, need greater resources to increase the amount of monitoring in the park, in order to determine which species, if any, have been affected by ebola, and in which part of the park they reside.
- After affected regions have been identified, create geographical barriers, such as making rivers impassable, to decrease the likelihood of any further spread.
- Increase funding for ebola vaccines for the great apes, which have already proven successful in monkeys and are showing greater promise in humans.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, there have been two other outbreaks of ebola since 2000, both of which claimed thousands of great apes. The first, in 2000 and 2001, was centered in Uganda. More than half of the 425 human cases reported during that outbreak resulted in death. The second outbreak occurred in 2001 and 2002 in Uganda and the Republic of Congo; 79 percent of the 122 reported human cases in that outbreak resulted in death.
Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a severe, often-fatal disease that affects humans and non-human primates, such as monkeys, gorillas and chimpanzees. Researchers believe the disease, which first emerged in 1976, is zoonotic, or animal-borne. Many scientists believe the disease is spread through the butchering and handling of primate bushmeat. The disease has been confirmed only in six African nations: the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Sudan, Cote D’Ivoire, and Uganda.
“There is good news and bad news here,” said Christophe Boesch, Professor at the Max Planck Institute in Leipsig, Germany. “Although it would be disasterous to the great apes if another outbreak of ebola is confirmed, we still have it in our grasp to save a large number of these primates, man’s closest living relatives. The international community and non-governmental institutions must continue to commit resources to the Congo Basin, one of the last remaining tracts of wilderness in the world.”
Western lowland gorillas can grow to six feet tall when standing, and can weigh up to 450 pounds. They have a broad chest, a muscular neck, and strong hands and feet. Short, thin, grey-black to brown-black hair covers their entire body, except the face. Many bear a distinctive ginger-colored crown. In comparison to mountain gorillas, western lowland gorillas have wider and larger skulls. They are characterized as quiet, peaceful, and non- aggressive animals, and almost never attack unless provoked.
The relatively intact forests of western equatorial Africa are regarded as the last strongholds of African apes. Gabon and Congo hold 80 percent of the world’s gorillas and most of the Central African chimpanzees. The population of apes in Congo declined by more than half between 1983 and 2000.
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The Great Apes Survival Project (GRASP), an innovative partnership comprised of UNEP, UNESCO, governments and non-governmental organizations, has an immediate challenge to lift the threat of imminent extinction facing most populations of great apes, namely gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos (pygmy chimpanzees), and orangutans. More information about GRASP can be found at http://www.unep.org/grasp/ or www.unesco.org/mab/grasp.htm.
The International Primatological Society was created to encourage all area of non-human primatological scientific research, to facilitate cooperation among scientists of all nationalities engaged in primate research, and to promote the conservation of all primate species. The Society is organized exclusively for scientific, educational and charitable purposes. More information about the IPS Congress can be found at http://www.ips2004.unito.it/about.html.
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