Chimpanzees, like other monkeys, as well as some other animals and people, sometimes suffer from alopecia, a disease that can cause them to lose hair from their entire body. These poor creatures attract many visitors to zoos. Bald monkeys have alopecia - an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss in animals, and also occurs in humans.
Is hair loss a disease?
Some animals are born naked, and some lose their hair for other reasons. There is a Guru from the Mysore Zoo in India who was hairless when he was rescued from the circus; Jumbo at the Tuycross Zoo in the UK; Cinder is a bald chimpanzee from the St. Louis Zoo. Speaking of people, we always expect some amount of hair loss with age. There are a number of mammals and birds, which are quite unusual to see without fur and plumage.
Alopecia: causes
Alopecia (hair loss) occurs in some primates in captivity and is of interest to the leaders of the colonies and veterinarians. The characteristics, potential causes, and treatments for this condition are discussed here. Numerous factors can be associated with hair loss and range from natural processes (e.g., seasonality, aging) to various biological dysfunctions, including vitamin and mineral imbalances, endocrine disorders, immunological diseases, and genetic mutations.
Bacterial and fungal infections, parasitic infections, and atopic dermatitis may also be involved as possible causes of alopecia. Finally, psychogenic factors, such as stress, play an important role. Depending on the alleged cause of hair loss, various treatment strategies can be carried out. Primates alopecia is a multifaceted disorder with many potential sources.
