GRACE Gorillas

LULINGU'S STORY: WHAT ONE BABY REPRESENTS

From rescued orphan to wild mother, Lulingu’s journey shows what's possible when we invest in a gorilla’s future.

Lulingu with her wild-born infant, May 2026

Rescued at just 18-months old from the illegal wildlife trade, Lulingu was raised at the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education (GRACE) Center. Years of rehabilitative care and growing up in a surrogate gorilla family prepared Lulingu for life in the wild.

In 2024, Lulingu made conservation history when she became one of four female Grauer’s gorillas translocated from GRACE to Virunga National Park, where she joined wild silverback Mwasa's family group.

In May 2026, Lulingu gave birth to a baby of her own—the first successful wild birth to a rewilded Grauer’s gorilla and a historic milestone for the recovery of this critically endangered species.

Lulingu's baby represents what years of sanctuary care, Congolese expertise, community trust, science, and forest protection can make possible.

Watch Lulingu's Story on Good Morning America

THE SANCTUARY IS WHERE POSSIBILITY BEGINS

Lulingu’s story began with the same promise GRACE makes to every rescued gorilla: expert care, safety, and the chance to heal as part of a gorilla family.

At GRACE, rescue is not the end of the story. It is where possibility begins.

GRACE operates the world’s only sanctuary accredited by the Global Federation for Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) dedicated to caring for Grauer’s gorillas rescued from the illegal wildlife trade.

Today, nine rescued gorillas live at GRACE, where expert Congolese caregivers provide the specialized care, rehabilitation, and stable gorilla family environment each individual needs to recover and thrive.

Silverback Kighoma (front) leads the surrogate gorilla family at GRACE, which includes 3 males and 6 females.

Watch the gorillas live on Explore.org

CONSERVATION ROOTED IN COMMUNITY

GRACE’s sanctuary has endured for more than a decade because it is rooted in Congolese leadership, long-term relationships, and the trust of surrounding communities.

GRACE employs 50 people at our sanctuary and supports 100+ people through forest monitoring and conservation work.
An estimated 3,000 people benefit directly from GRACE’s presence through employment, local markets, and sustainable livelihood initiatives.
Each year, our conservation education and community programs reach more than 60,000 people.
GRACE and our community partners are collecting new scientific information about Grauer’s gorillas, forests and biodiversity across the Tayna-Usala landscape for the first time.

This network of trust also helps GRACE respond when communities need us most. As the Ebola outbreak continues in eastern DR Congo, our team is supporting local prevention, education, and health-protection efforts while maintaining strict safeguards for the gorillas in our care.

GRACE sanctuary caregiving staff with DR Congo Director Jackson Kabuyaya Mbeke (far right) Traditional King, Mwami Stuka Mwanaweka Mikundi II, places the cornerstone for the GRACE sanctuary (2009)

By supporting GRACE, you make an impact across the entire landscape:

Protecting gorillas means protecting the forests they depend on in partnership with the people who live alongside them.

HELP MAKE THE NEXT STORY POSSIBLE

Lulingu carries her baby as she moves with her family group, led by wild silverback Mwasa, through the forest at Mt. Tshiaberimu

Lulingu’s baby is growing up wild because years of care, science, partnership, and community-led conservation made it possible.

A caregiver stayed beside an orphaned gorilla. A sanctuary gave her time to recover. A gorilla family helped raise her. Caregivers and conservationists planned a path home. Communities helped protect the forest waiting for her.

And people like you believed that her story could have another chapter.

Together, we can give gorillas the chance to heal, thrive, and have a future we once could only imagine.

“I have been with GRACE since the beginning. Lulingu's journey reflects everything we hoped possible. I watched her arrive as our youngest orphan at 18 months old, grow up in a surrogate gorilla family, return to the wild, and now become a mother for the first time. This milestone is the result of years of hard work. I am deeply proud of our team and grateful to everyone involved.”
- Jackson Kabuyaya Mbeke, GRACE DR Congo Country Director