Orphaned, Rescued, and Rewilded, Female Gorilla Becomes a Mother in Historic Conservation Success

Lulingu and her infant – credit, Rewild, released

One of the first-ever eastern lowland gorillas to be successfully returned to the wild gave birth on May 21st in her new/old home of Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Every new gorilla infant is its own conservation success story, but coming as the baby has from a mother who was almost cut off from her mountain home entirely, it becomes all the more special.

The mother, Lulingu, was one of four female gorillas moved at the end of 2024 from the GRACE sanctuary for rescued gorillas in North Kivu province to Virunga. Her baby was fathered by a wild silverback living on Mount Tshiaberimu, a sign that Lulingu had successfully integrated into the wild population.

Rescuers recovered Lulingu when she was just 18 months old after being taken from her family and sold into the illegal wildlife trade. She was the youngest orphaned gorilla ever brought to GRACE, the only sanctuary in the world for rescued eastern lowland gorillas.

GRACE provided Lulingu with around-the-clock care before another gorilla, Pinga, took over as her surrogate mother and welcomed her into the larger gorilla family at GRACE. That family included Mapendo, Ndjingala and Isangi—the other 3 females who would eventually return to the wild.

The release of these 4 females, all of whom have joined the silverback’s family group, was the culmination of a more-than-5-year rewilding process led by GRACE, Virunga National Park and local communities, with support from Gorilla Doctors, and Re:wild.

“This is a milestone for the gorillas,” said Katie Fawcett, executive and science director of GRACE Gorillas. “They’ve adjusted to living in the wild extremely well so far, but raising an infant in the wild can be a challenge even for experienced mothers. We’re cautiously optimistic that Lulingu will navigate motherhood well and that the baby will continue to survive. No matter what happens, this is another historic first for eastern lowland gorilla conservation.”

The birth is also an important step toward the conservation project’s central goals: providing a critical genetic boost to the small and isolated gorilla population on Tshiaberimu.

A gorilla monitoring team has been tracking the family group closely since the 4 females were released into the wild in December 2024 and has observed them mating with the dominant male. In addition to monitoring the gorillas’ feeding behavior, the team has been collecting urine samples non-invasively from leaves and using human pregnancy tests to detect elevated levels of hormones associated with pregnancy.

“None of the 4 females have required veterinary treatment for illness or injury since being rewilded—the outcome we always hope for,” said Dr. Cedric Kibengo, a field veterinarian with Gorilla Doctors involved in the reintroduction effort from the start. “With the arrival of Lulingu’s infant, we now have one more ‘patient’ under our care, and both mother and infant are healthy and doing well.”

Lulingu has already navigated a series of firsts since returning to the wild, adapting to a new habitat, diet, and social environment. These successes have made the monitoring team optimistic as she navigates another first: raising an infant.

“We have seen her nursing, cradling, and playing with the baby. The other young gorilla in her group has shown interest in the baby, and Lulingu has been very patient with him,” said Benoit Ishaba, park ranger, and head of gorilla monitoring on Mt. Tshiaberimu.

Lulingu’s new infant is also giving scientists and conservationists a rare opportunity to observe a rewilded eastern lowland gorilla raising her first infant and to better understand how the reintroduced females respond to and interact with a new baby.

Gorilla pregnancies typically last between 8 and 9 months. At least one of the other rewilded females may also be pregnant and could give birth in the coming weeks or months.

“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,” said Mary Brown, Re:wild’s Africa program lead.The partners will continue to closely monitor Lulingu and her baby as they take their place in the future of this Critically-Endangered primate. Orphaned, Rescued, and Rewilded, Female Gorilla Becomes a Mother in Historic Conservation Success

Read More........→October 12, 2026

When Zoo Elephants Are Rewilded in Africa, Here’s How Good Their Coping Skills Are

Rewilded elephants on Khamab Kalahari Reserve – Elephant Reintegration Trust of South Africa / SWNS

New research shows that elephants develop successful coping mechanisms when returning to the wild from human captivity.

In fact, the team found that “rewilded” elephants can fit quite well within wildlife systems and readapt—even after long-term captivity.

For the new study, a team from the Elephant Reintegration Trust of South Africa examined the behavioral and physiological responses of 11 formerly-captive elephants which had been released onto four different reserves.

For five years each elephant was observed for three weeks at a time at least once annually.

The team looked for indicators that the elephants might be uncomfortable in their wild surroundings and for behaviors that might be “hold-overs” from their time in captivity, such as conflict or confrontation.

The findings showed that, overall, rewilded elephants behaved “very similarly” to their wild neighbors.

Fecal samples collected to test for signs of metabolic stress showed levels within the normal range for wild elephants.

“What I found most fascinating was watching elephants that had spent decades in captivity adapt so successfully to life in the wild,” said co-author Tenisha Roos.

“Seeing them respond to their environment and function much like wild elephants was truly awe-inspiring and a powerful reminder of their remarkable resilience, adaptability, and behavioral flexibility.”

Credit – Glen Carrie / Unsplash

The differences may reflect their previous captive experiences, social circumstances, environmental conditions, and tourism or management pressures, according to the research team.

They say their findings, published in the journal PLOS One, show that rewilded elephants behave “very similarly” to their wild counterparts, despite some consistent differences—suggesting that they have adapted well to their return to wild habitats.

The research team also noted a high degree of variability in behavior between individual rewilded elephants, but that might be related to each animal’s personality.

Each elephant likely found their own unique ways to cope with their relocation.

The 11 animals in the study represent more than 50% of the rewilded elephant population across South Africa so far.

“While a few elephants showed slightly elevated stress biomarkers, all values remained within the normal range for wild populations, indicating successful adaptation—with no evidence of chronic stress.”

Andy Rouse captured antics of Kenyan family of elephants – SWNS

Co-author Tammy Eggeling said: “Although previously-captive elephants may carry the memories of confinement, our research has shown that, when given the opportunity, they can leave that past behind.

“They are able to learn new skills, adapt to unfamiliar environments, and ultimately thrive as wild elephants.”

Co-author Brett Mitchell added: “The data from this project show that when captive elephants are rewilded and given the opportunity, they can regain full autonomy and re-establish natural patterns of movement and behavior.“Through this research, we are also seeing that rewilded elephants can make a meaningful contribution to the conservation of their species.” When Zoo Elephants Are Rewilded in Africa, Here’s How Good Their Coping Skills Are

Read More........→August 17, 2026