Human beings and the great apes (gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and orangutans) share 95% of their DNA. Therefore, the apes are susceptible to some human diseases.
So fear of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 infection hangs over the apes and humans of Africa and Indonesia.
But the apes are already endangered because of bushmeat hunting and poaching for body parts.
The gorillas have been earning their keep through ecotourism, which creates jobs and gives local people an incentive to protect the animals rather than harm them.
However, ecotourism is shutting down until June 1, 2020 in the Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga National Parks in Uganda and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
These are the last homes of the mountain gorillas, and the ban is essential to protect them from COVID-19.