Reintroduced Grauer’s gorilla gives birth in DRC national park, ‘makes us happy’

Lulingu, a Grauer's gorilla rescued from wildlife traffickers as an infant and later reintroduced to Virunga National Park, gave birth in May 2026, according to conservationists at the GRACE sanctuary. She had arrived at the 40-acre sanctuary in 2016 at 18 months old after being seized by Congolese wildlife authorities and the NGO Gorilla Doctors.

Grauer's gorillas are critically endangered, with an estimated 77 percent population decline since 1994 amid armed conflict, deforestation and mining in eastern Congo. Conservationists say the birth signals Lulingu adapted well to the wild and are now weighing whether to reintroduce more rescued gorillas.

Virunga itself remains under strain, with M23 forces controlling large parts of the park since early 2025, fueling poaching and illegal trafficking. Local communities will be invited to help name the newborn in a planned ceremony.

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