Gorillas at risk due to human likeness

Mountain gorillas are at risk of catching Covid-19 because they share so much DNA with humans, the World Wide Fund for Nature has warned.

Congo’s Virunga National Park and Rwanda have both closed to tourists to protect the gorillas, who share 98 per cent of their DNA with humans.

“We have to assume they are susceptible to the virus which causes the disease Covid-19,” said Cath Lawson, the Africa conservation manager at WWF-UK.