Orphaned, Rescued, and Rewilded, Female Gorilla Becomes a Mother in Historic Conservation Success.
Lulingu, an orphaned eastern lowland gorilla returned to the wild in 2024, gave birth in Virunga National Park, conservation groups led by GRACE Gorillas and Re:wild reported.
Lulingu, one of the first eastern lowland gorillas to be successfully returned to the wild, gave birth on May 21 in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Re:wild and its partners announced the birth on September 10. They described it as a milestone for an effort to reinforce a small, isolated population of the critically endangered primate.
Lulingu was rescued at 18 months old by the Congolese nature authority (ICCN) and Gorilla Doctors after being taken from her family and sold into the illegal wildlife trade. She was the youngest orphaned gorilla ever brought to GRACE, the only sanctuary in the world for rescued eastern lowland gorillas. Another gorilla, Pinga, later became her surrogate mother there.
At the end of 2024, Lulingu and three other females, Mapendo, Ndjingala and Isangi, were moved from the GRACE sanctuary in Kasugho to Mt. Tshiaberimu in Virunga. The release followed a rewilding process of more than five years, led by GRACE, Virunga National Park and local communities, with support from Gorilla Doctors and Re:wild. The females were chosen for their behavior, reproductive health and overall health, following IUCN guidelines for reintroducing great apes. All four joined the family group of Mwasa, a wild silverback who fathered Lulingu's baby.
The goal is a genetic boost for the Mt. Tshiaberimu population. A population viability analysis found a high probability the gorillas would go extinct within 50 years unless reproductive females were added. A monitoring team has tracked the group since December 2024, collecting urine samples from leaves and using human pregnancy tests to detect pregnancy hormones. Field veterinarian Cedric Kibengo of Gorilla Doctors said none of the four females has needed treatment for illness or injury since release, and that "both mother and infant are healthy and doing well."
Ranger Benoit Ishaba, head of gorilla monitoring on the mountain, said, "Lulingu is doing a great job taking care of the baby and is central to the family group." He reported seeing her nurse, cradle and play with the infant. Still, the partners urged caution. None of the four females has raised an infant before, and GRACE's Katie Fawcett said raising young in the wild can be hard even for experienced mothers. Eastern lowland gorilla mortality has not been studied, but about 35% of closely related mountain gorilla infants die.
At least one of the other rewilded females may also be pregnant and could give birth in the coming weeks or months. Gorilla pregnancies typically last eight to nine months. The partners said they will keep monitoring Lulingu and her baby.
At a Glance
- Lulingu gave birth on May 21 in Virunga National Park's Mt. Tshiaberimu; the release announcing it is dated September 10, 2026.
- Four rescued females were released in December 2024 after a rewilding effort lasting more than five years.
- A viability analysis found a high chance of extinction within 50 years unless reproductive females were added to the population.
- Lulingu was rescued at 18 months old, the youngest orphaned gorilla ever brought to the GRACE sanctuary.
- About 35% of mountain gorilla infants die; eastern lowland gorilla infant mortality has not been studied.
Sources
This brief was written by Brightside Report from the reporting linked above. Spot an error? Request a correction.