Bili the gorilla, who was kidnapped as a baby, is being prepared for release back into the wild — CNN
Animal welfare activists rescued a western lowland gorilla named Bili, who had been kidnapped by poachers at a young age. The animal is currently undergoing rehabilitation at a rescue center, and there are plans to return her to the wild in the future.
Experts still cannot determine exactly where Bili was born. Possible places of origin include Cameroon, Gabon, or the Republic of the Congo. It is likely that poachers killed many or even all of her family members in order to take the infant and sell her. The gorilla has spent nearly her entire life at an animal rescue center in southern Nigeria.
In August 2023, the nonprofit organization Focused Conservation carried out a covert operation that resulted in the arrest and conviction of two men.
Bili, who was only a few months old, was seized by Nigeria’s Special Customs Control Service. Customs officials did not know what to do with her or how to care for her.
Bili was taken to the “Drill Ranch” wildlife rehabilitation center. According to primatologist Lindsey Maess, the animal was sick and covered in a fungal infection. However, Bili’s case can be called a “miracle,” since “more than 80% of gorillas that fall into the hands of traffickers do not survive.”
Maess explained that baby gorillas who fall victim to the trade are deprived of their mothers’ milk—which is essential for their development—and become extremely vulnerable to disease. Some of them stop eating and lose strength due to severe emotional stress.
Bili’s psychological trauma was very deep. She would start screaming as soon as she saw a box or a cage, and for the first three months, she slept while clinging tightly to the animal welfare activists.
Bili was helped by two chimpanzees who had also been rescued from traffickers. They became her “best friends” and helped her “come out of her shell.”
However, the animal welfare activists realized that Bili couldn’t stay at the center permanently. On September 21 of this year, the gorilla was transported to the Chimpunga Nature Reserve (Republic of the Congo). When the animal was released into the enclosure, she quickly ran out into the open and then reached out toward a keeper, who picked her up and carried her into the forest.
Veterinarian Rebecca Atencia shared that Bili has settled in very well and has proven to be a “very resilient young gorilla.”
The reserve has both covered and open enclosures, spanning forest and savanna areas. After 40 days of quarantine and a medical examination, the gorilla will be introduced to a younger female named Mozambique, who already lives at the reserve. Together, they will be able to develop their social skills and learn appropriate behavior.
If all goes according to plan, both gorillas may eventually be transported to the Lesio-Luna Reserve (Republic of the Congo)—a 173,000-hectare nature reserve.
“We hope that, over time, this group will be able to complete a full course of rehabilitation and reintroduction so that they can eventually return to life in the wild. They will get a second chance at a normal life,” said Dr. Atencia.
A $20 Billion Illegal Trade
Orphaned gorillas were once byproducts of the bushmeat trade, but today, infants are more often the targets of the trade.
Focused Conservation is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization working to expose wildlife trafficking networks. Buying and selling often takes place on the open internet, where people “openly” advertise the animals.
Nigeria is a key hub for the export of wild animals from the continent: dead animals (or products made from them) are usually shipped by sea, while live animals are transported by air.
The country recently developed a national strategy to combat crimes against wildlife and forest resources, which calls for strengthening law enforcement measures and training judicial officials. In 2021, the customs service established the Special Wildlife Office (SWO)—an investigative unit working in partnership with the organization Focused Conservation. It was thanks to this collaboration that Bili was successfully apprehended.
According to Interpol estimates, the annual value of wildlife-related crimes reaches $20 billion. Between September 15 and October 15, 2025, nearly 30,000 live animals were seized, including more than 200 primates.
Source: CNN.
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