Critically endangered gorilla orphaned as a baby gives birth after historic return to the wild

Lulingu, an eastern lowland gorilla rescued from the illegal wildlife trade at 18 months old and raised at GRACE sanctuary in the DRC, gave birth on May 21 in Virunga National Park after being released to the wild in late 2024 alongside three other females. Her baby was fathered by Mwasa, a wild silverback, signalling successful integration into the wild population and addressing a critical conservation need: a population viability analysis found the isolated gorilla population faced high extinction probability within 50 years without added reproductive females.

The survival and reproductive success of the infant and mother in the wild remains ongoing; the article notes cautious optimism about motherhood in the wild even for experienced mothers.