GRACE Gorillas

 Give HOPE FOR Grauer's Gorillas 

This year marks 10 Years of Giving Day for Apes. Your support has been the difference for rescued Grauer’s gorillas like Isangi, Lubutu and Ndjingala.

Today you can give hope for the next 10 years and beyond. Give for gorillas on this milestone #GivingDayforApes.

ISANGI'S STORY

Isangi arrived at the GRACE sanctuary just over 10 years ago. Her family was illegally killed when she was just nine months old. After losing her family, Isangi was taken by an armed group who then gave her to a Congolese community group, who cared for Isangi for some time until giving her to a Kahuzi-Biega Park Ranger.

Despite the trauma of losing her family and the ordeal that followed, Isangi settled into the group of rescued gorillas at GRACE quickly. She became close friends with Lubutu and Shamavu, and bonded w older females like Ndjingala. Today, Isangi is a healthy, intelligent young gorilla with hope for a second chance at life in the wild. 

LUBUTU'S STORY

While infant Lubutu’s captors searched for an illegal buyer, he survived for at least nine months eating human foods – unhealthy for all gorillas and especially for an infant who needs milk. When Lubutu was rescued, he was suffering from severe hair loss and malnutrition malnutrition and was very weak, dehydrated, and traumatized.

Incredibly, Lubutu survived and arrived safely to the sanctuary. He formed close bonds with males Kighoma and Shamavu, and made up for lost time playing with his new friends. Today, Lubutu is a large, healthy blackback male nearing silverback status.

NDJINGALA'S STORY

Ndjingala was in bad shape when she was rescued. Barely a year old at the time, she had deep cuts around her hips from a rope that captors had tied around her waist. A week after her rescue, she was treated multiple times for vomiting, dehydration, and a respiratory illness.

With intensive efforts from human caregivers, Ndjingala grew strong enough to join fellow rescued gorillas Amani, Kighoma, and Mapendo in Goma. This group was the first to arrive at GRACE after its construction. Since then, Ndjingala has shown herself to be a calm, affectionate gorilla, especially to her close friends Amani and Muyisa, and to younger gorillas like Lulingu.

A GORILLA SANCTUARY — AND SO MUCH MORE

We work hand-in-hand with Congolese communities on conservation education, forest protection, and sustainable livelihoods to protect wild gorillas and their forest homes - including hiring and training monitoring teams in Tayna Nature Reserve, one of the last strongholds for Grauer's gorillas on the planet. By supporting GRACE, you make an impact across our program areas:

1. Gorilla Rescue, Rehab, Release 

2. Gorilla Conservation

3. Community Engagement

Your gift today gives hope for the future of Grauer’s gorillas, their forest homes, and communities in eastern DR Congo.

Donate