At least eight gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in California, USA were suspected to have contracted COVID-19.

In a report by Reuters, the gorillas may have gotten the virus from a human handler.

One of the gorillas has been tested positive for COVID-19, marking the first known transmission of the virus to apes, the report said.

Three of the critically endangered western lowland gorillas at the sprawling wildlife park have shown symptoms of the respiratory virus, such as coughing, but none of the animals showed signs of being severely ill.

Laboratory tests of a fecal sample from one of two gorillas initially seen coughing detected the presence of the virus, zoo spokesman Andrew James said.

The positive results have been confirmed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories.

While the test was definitive for only a single animal, all eight gorillas are presumed by zoo officials to have been e

The gorilla troop at the 1,800-acre San Diego Safari Park consists of five females and three males, including an elder “silverback” named Winston, about 45 years old, James said.

The coronavirus has infected other wild-animal species in captivity, including several lions and tigers at the Bronx Zoo in New York and four lions at the Barcelona Zoo in Spain. (CC)