Protein Deficiency in a Colony of Western Lowland Gorillas (Gorilla g. gorilla)

A colony of 10 western lowland gorillas in Gabon experienced a syndrome of alopecia and weight loss over 3 years, affecting nine individuals due to a dietary protein deficiency. The most severely affected was a 4-year-old female who died from acute gastroenteritis caused by Shigella flexneri. Symptoms included chronic alopecia, hair discoloration, failure to thrive, and weight loss, linked to hypoalbuminemia and normocytic normochromic anemia. The deficiency was confirmed through clinical tests and autopsy, and dietary protein supplementation led to rapid improvement in health and coat condition, normalizing serum albumin and protein levels, and resolving anemia in all but one 12-year-old male, who improved with anabolic steroids. The study suggested that captive gorillas might require higher dietary protein due to the lack of commensal gastrointestinal ciliates.