Reintroduced Grauer’s gorilla gives birth in Virunga Park — Mongabay

In Virunga National Park in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, a Grauer’s gorilla named Lulingu gave birth to an infant in May 2026. Lulingu was reintroduced into the wild in 2024 after rehabilitation at the GRACE center, Mongabay reports.

Lulingu’s rehabilitation

Lulingu arrived at the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center in the DRC (GRACE) in 2016, when she was 18 months old. She was rescued from an illegal wildlife trade network by the Congolese Wildlife Authority and the non-governmental organization Gorilla Doctors.

At the 16-hectare sanctuary, the gorilla socialized and played in conditions close to her natural habitat under the supervision of adult female gorillas.

Lulingu was later returned to the wild near Mount Tshiaberimu, in a remote part of Virunga National Park.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

GRACE director in the DRC Jackson Kabuyaya Mbeke said that the mother and infant are doing well. According to him, the birth of the infant indicates Lulingu’s successful adaptation to life in the wild. The center is also considering the reintroduction of other gorillas and is at the preparation stage.

Population status

The Grauer’s gorilla, also known as the eastern lowland gorilla, is endemic to the tropical forests of eastern DRC and is the largest primate on Earth. Its habitat is threatened by armed conflict, deforestation, and mining.

In 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature reclassified the species from endangered to critically endangered. Conservationists estimate that since 1994, the population has declined by 77% — from approximately 16,900 to 3,800 individuals in 2015.

Conservationists plan to invite local communities to propose a name for the newborn infant. The name will be chosen by vote and announced during a ceremony.