For the First Time Ever, Rehabbed Gorillas Have Been ‘Rewilded’

A “beautiful story of survival” is playing out in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Conservation teams have reintroduced four critically endangered eastern lowland gorillas (Grauer’s gorillas) back into the wild after poachers killed their parents. GRACE Gorillas, a conservation organization, rescued and rehabilitated the now-rewilded gorillas—Isangi, Lulingu, Mapendo, and Ndjingala—before re-releasing them.

The L.A. Zoo, a partner of GRACE Gorillas, posted about the conservation success story on Instagram. The zoo calls this event “historic.”

“The L.A. Zoo congratulates our overseas partner in conservation @gracegorillas on their historic achievement!” the zoo wrote in the social-media post. “For the first time ever, four Grauer’s gorillas rescued and rehabilitated by GRACE have been reintroduced into the wild!”

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L.A. Zoo says Isangi, Lulingu, Mapendo, and Ndjingala have joined a silverback, Mwasa, and his group on Mt. Tshiaberimu. “They are thriving together—foraging, nesting, and bonding appropriately—under close observation from GRACE caregivers and Virunga Rangers,” the zoo says in its post. “This is a historic rewilding, years in the making, and a milestone for great ape conservation.”

By rewilding these four gorillas, conservationists have boosted the wild eastern lowland gorilla population in Virunga National Park by 50%.

See a YouTube video with footage of the rewilded gorillas and L.A. Zoo’s full post about the conservation feat here:

A “beautiful story of survival” is playing out in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Conservation teams have reintroduced four critically endangered eastern lowland gorillas (Grauer’s gorillas) back into the wild after poachers killed their parents. GRACE Gorillas, a conservation organization, rescued and rehabilitated the now-rewilded gorillas—Isangi, Lulingu, Mapendo, and Ndjingala—before re-releasing them.

The L.A. Zoo, a partner of GRACE Gorillas, posted about the conservation success story on Instagram. The zoo calls this event “historic.”

“The L.A. Zoo congratulates our overseas partner in conservation @gracegorillas on their historic achievement!” the zoo wrote in the social-media post. “For the first time ever, four Grauer’s gorillas rescued and rehabilitated by GRACE have been reintroduced into the wild!”

[RELATED: Trail Cam Spots Rare Pangolin in Area for the First Time]

L.A. Zoo says Isangi, Lulingu, Mapendo, and Ndjingala have joined a silverback, Mwasa, and his group on Mt. Tshiaberimu. “They are thriving together—foraging, nesting, and bonding appropriately—under close observation from GRACE caregivers and Virunga Rangers,” the zoo says in its post. “This is a historic rewilding, years in the making, and a milestone for great ape conservation.”

By rewilding these four gorillas, conservationists have boosted the wild eastern lowland gorilla population in Virunga National Park by 50%.

See a YouTube video with footage of the rewilded gorillas and L.A. Zoo’s full post about the conservation feat here: