A gorilla rescued from the illegal wildlife trade as an orphan has reached a remarkable conservation milestone after giving birth in the wild in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Image used for illustrative purposes/By: guenterguni/Getty Imagws
Lulingu was just 18 months old when she was rescued in 2016 after being taken from the wild and sold into the illegal wildlife trade. She was subsequently cared for at the GRACE Gorillas sanctuary, the only sanctuary in the world dedicated to rescued eastern lowland gorillas, also known as Grauer’s gorillas.
According to People Magazine, Lulingu has now become the first of four female gorillas reintroduced from GRACE to successfully give birth in the wild.
From orphan to wild gorilla
Following her rescue, Lulingu received round-the-clock care at GRACE. She was eventually welcomed into a surrogate gorilla family, where another gorilla named Pinga took on a maternal role.
Lulingu grew up alongside Mapendo, Ndjingala and Isangi, three other females who had also been rescued from the illegal wildlife trade.
After years of preparation, the four gorillas were moved to Virunga National Park in late 2024 as part of an ambitious rewilding project. They were released on Mt Tshiaberimu, a remote mountain area within the park that is home to a small and isolated population of eastern lowland gorillas.
The females were among the first eastern lowland gorillas from GRACE to be successfully returned to the wild.
Since their release, a monitoring team has closely followed the gorillas, observing their behaviour, feeding habits and health while allowing them to adapt to their new surroundings.
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A new generation in the wild
Lulingu gave birth to her first infant on 21 May 2026. Conservation groups waited several months before announcing the birth so that the mother and baby could bond undisturbed.
The infant is believed to have been fathered by Mwasa, a wild silverback living on Mt Tshiaberimu. His involvement is particularly significant because it indicates that Lulingu has successfully integrated into a wild gorilla family.
Monitoring teams have reported seeing Lulingu nursing, cradling and playing with her baby. The infant has also attracted interest from another young gorilla within the group.
“Lulingu is doing a great job taking care of the baby and is central to the family group,” Benoit Ishaba, head of gorilla monitoring on Mt Tshiaberimu, said in a statement released by Re:wild.
Why the birth is important
Eastern lowland gorillas are classified as critically endangered, and the Mt Tshiaberimu population faces particular conservation challenges.
Before the four rescued females were introduced, only eight gorillas lived in the isolated population. Conservation modelling found that there was a high probability the group could disappear within 50 years without the addition of reproductive females. The reintroduction increased the population to 12.
Lulingu’s birth is therefore more than a conservation success story. It is an indication that a gorilla rescued from trafficking and raised in human care can adapt to life in the wild, integrate with wild gorillas and contribute to the future of her species.
The monitoring team will continue to keep a close eye on Lulingu and her infant as they navigate life in the forest.
“Each healthy infant represents more than an addition to the population – it is a sign of resilience, recovery, and what is possible through long-term care, collaboration, and targeted protection,” Mary Brown, Re’s Africa programme lead, said.
The other three rewilded females are also being monitored, with conservationists hopeful that Lulingu’s birth could be the beginning of a new generation for this small population of eastern lowland gorillas.
Source: People Magazine, with conservation details cross-checked against Re:wild’s September 2026 announcement
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