Mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) are at risk of coronavirus just like humans.
This species is endangered: the total number is only about 1000 individuals, living in a small area, including national parks in the Great Rift Valley in eastern Central Africa.
One population lives in Birunga National Park in Rwanda, Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, the second in southwestern Uganda, in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
These gorillas can suffer from human respiratory diseases. Due to the pandemic, the national parks of the Congo and Rwanda were forced to close access to visitors. Uganda abstained from such a measure, but only because, as noted by Bashir Hangi, an employee of the Uganda Wildlife Service, there are still no tourists due to the tourism industry crisis and the pandemic. Nevertheless, Uganda imposed restrictions on visiting national parks: tourists who still want to look at the gorillas will have to documentary proof of the quarantine passed within two weeks after entering the country. But even in this case, it will not be possible to approach the gorillas closer than 7 meters, it will also be necessary to use protective masks. At the same time, employees of national parks note a frequent violation of the 7-meter rule, in most cases by people, but sometimes because of the curiosity of the animals themselves.