Gorilla Mauls Zookeeper in Rare Attack

A zookeeper is recovering after being mauled by a gorilla in a rare attack at the Bronx Zoo.

The victim, who has not been identified, was attacked by an adult male gorilla named Kamari around 10:30am Friday morning.

Zoo officials say the zookeeper suffered injuries to his head and upper body, and was taken to the hospital in stable condition.

Kamari is one of the zoo's three gorillas and is considered very dangerous. He has been at the Bronx Zoo since 2006.

In a statement, Bronx Zoo Director Jim Breheny said, "This is an extremely unfortunate incident. Our thoughts are with our keeper and his family."

Friday's attack is just the latest in a series of animal attacks at zoos across the country. In March, a lioness attacked and killed a young intern at the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco. In May, a cheetah escaped from its enclosure at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and injured a visitor.

Gorilla Invasion: Zoo Goes into Lockdown

The zoo was in panic mode. There had been a gorilla break-out.

Zoo officials first became aware of the situation when they found broken fences and gorilla footprints leading away from the enclosure. They immediately put the zoo into lockdown, telling visitors to shelter in place.

Animal control was called in and began tracking the gorillas. It didn't take long for them to find the intruders. There were six of them, all large males.

The gorillas were quickly surround and contained. It appeared that they had simply wanted to explore their new surroundings. Officials said that there was never any danger to the public and that this was just a "wild animal incident."

Still, the lockdown caused chaos among the visitors. Some were scared, others were angry that they couldn't leave when they wanted to. Many complained that they weren't given any information about what was happening.

In the end, though, everyone was safe and no one was hurt. The zoo resumed its regular operations the next day.

Gorillas Could Go Extinct Within 25 Years

A new study from the University of Minnesota has found that all subspecies of gorillas could be extinct within 25 years. The study, which looked at how climate change is affecting the habitats of gorillas, found that the primates are being forced into higher altitudes where it is becoming harder for them to find food and shelter.

"Gorillas are very close to extinction," said lead author of the study Caitlin O'Connell-Rodwell. "There are only about 350,000 gorillas left in the world and every subspecies is in decline. If we continue losing habitat at this rate, they could be gone in 25 years."

The study also found that climate change is causing an increase in wildfires which are destroying gorilla habitats. In addition, gorilla populations are being decimated by poaching and the illegal wildlife trade.

Gorillas are the largest living primate and there are three subspecies – western lowland gorillas, eastern lowland gorillas, and mountain gorillas. All three subspecies are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Poaching is a major threat to gorilla populations with hunters targeting them for their meat and body parts which are sold on the black market. The illegal wildlife trade is also a major threat to gorillas with animals being captured and sold as pets or for use in veterinary medicine.

The University of Minnesota study was published in the journal PLOS One.

Endangered Gorillas Threatened by Oil Pipeline

The construction of an oil pipeline through the Democratic Republic of Congo is threatening the survival of the country's endangered mountain gorillas, according to a report released Wednesday by the Wildlife Conservation Society.

The study says that the 870-mile (1,400 kilometer) pipeline, which will transport crude oil from Lake Tanganyika to the Atlantic coast, will go through some of the most important gorilla habitat in Virunga National Park.

Oil spills and increased human activity associated with the pipeline could drive the gorillas out of their traditional territory and into areas where they are more vulnerable to poaching, said Steven Platt, a wildlife biologist with WCS and co-author of the report.

"The potential for an oil spill is very high," Platt said. "The impact on these critically endangered animals would be catastrophic."

There are only about 680 mountain gorillas remaining in the wild, and their numbers have been declining in recent years due to poaching and habitat loss.

Baby Gorilla Born at National Zoo

A baby gorilla was born at the National Zoo in Washington D.C. on September 6, 2017. The zoo announced the birth of the male western lowland gorilla on their website, and shared a photo of him clinging to his mother's chest.

This is the first time a baby gorilla has been born at the National Zoo in over two years. The last time a baby gorilla was born at the zoo was in December of 2014, when a female western lowland gorilla named Kira gave birth to a baby girl.

The new baby gorilla is still too young to be named, but he will be monitored by keepers and veterinarians as he grows. He is currently bonding with his mother and other family members in the gorillas' outdoor habitat.

Gorillas are considered critically endangered species, and there are only about 100,000 of them left in the wild. Conservationists hope that initiatives like this one will help to increase the population of gorillas in their natural habitats.