A virus capable of wiping out an entire gorilla population is spreading just a few hundred kilometers from their home.
Ebola has broken out in the eastern part of The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The strain is Bundibugyo virus, for which no vaccine or treatment currently exists. It's spreading faster than any previous Ebola outbreak on record.
Gorillas haven't been affected yet. But history offers a grim warning. In the early 2000s, Ebola killed an estimated 95% of the western lowland gorilla population in Congo's Odzala-Kokoua National Park. Entire families were wiped out within weeks.
Because gorillas live in close-knit social groups, they often mourn the loss of a group member for days by staying near the body, grooming it and touching it. If a gorilla dies from Ebola, however, the body can remain infectious for several days, putting other members of the group at risk.
The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund's Congolese field teams are preparing for a growing threat. While Ebola has not yet reached their remote conservation area, the virus is now present in many of the communities and regions where they source essential supplies for their field operations. The wider the outbreak spreads, the greater the risk that it could eventually reach the forests where Grauer's gorillas live.
Their teams are taking action now – strengthening health protocols, stocking protective equipment and preparing rapid response plans to help prevent the virus from reaching gorillas.
Unlike many conservation organizations that rely heavily on expatriate staff, the Fossey Fund's work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is led by Congolese scientists, conservationists and field staff. Even as conflict and disease have disrupted the region, their teams have remained on the ground protecting gorillas every day. That continued presence is critical because the threats facing Grauer's gorillas don't pause. Having already lost more than 60% of their population over the past two decades and recently named among the IUCN's 25 Most Endangered Primates, they continue to be threatened by poaching for bushmeat and habitat loss.
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