Gorilla weighing 196 kg gets Covid-19 test, treated for other wounds. Pictures are viral

Shango, a 31-year-old male gorilla, had a fight with his 26-year-old brother, Barney.

A 31-year-old gorilla named Shango has recently undergone a test for Covid-19 while he was being treated for other wounds following a fight with another gorilla. Zoo Miami has shared pictures of the 433 pound (196 kg) gorilla on their Facebook page which have gone viral.

“’Shango’, a 31 year old male lowland gorilla was immobilized and transported to the Zoo Miami animal hospital on Wednesday for treatment of several wounds that were inflicted by his 26 year old brother, ‘Barney’, during a recent confrontation,” details the post. It says further that the gorilla also received “X-rays, vaccinations, an ultrasound, a TB test and a bronchoscopy as part of the zoo’s overall preventative medicine program”.

Shango was also tested for Covid-19 during the procedure since he had a low-grade fever. His test results came back negative.

The post explains that both Shango and Barney were born at the San Francisco Zoo. They arrived at Zoo Miami in 2017 and have since stayed together at the zoo’s gorilla habitat.

While conflicts between “adult male gorillas in bachelor groups” aren’t uncommon, they rarely result in any serious injury, explains the post further. This time, however, the two brothers ended up with bite wounds.

Shango was extra protective of the arm where he received the bite mark and staff the zoo felt it needed serious tending to. The gorilla was, hence, immobilized, and his wound was treated. “None of the tests or procedures performed indicated any abnormalities and Shango recovered well from the anesthesia,” says the post further.

Shango has since returned to the gorilla area and is being closely monitored while he heals.

The post is complete with pictures of the medical procedure that have been credited to Ron Magill Conservation Endowment.

Take a look at the images below: (Viewer discretion advised)

Since being shared on July 10, the post has collected over 1,600 reactions and more than 1,500 shares. Several people have shared comments about the procedure.

“Thanks for taking such good care of all the creatures. Good job. Did his brother get put in timeout?” posted an individual. “Hope he heals fast & maybe can go back with his brother. In the wild he would not get this treatment,” wrote another.

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