Two orphaned eastern lowland gorillas rescued in late September are receiving around the clock care at an orphan sanctuary inside Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This endangered group of great apes faces persistent threats from poaching and habitat loss, leaving only about four thousand individuals scattered across the forested regions of central Africa. The two youngsters, Isangi and Baraka, arrived after difficult journeys and now live under constant supervision by a small team of three experienced caretakers who monitor their health, safety, and emotional well being during each day and night. The sanctuary is designed to provide a refuge where the babies can adjust to human contact while preserving essential behaviors that will help them grow into healthy, socially connected gorillas. Daily routines, private moments of rest, and gentle socialization all play a part in building a foundation for later life in the wild, if the chance for reintroduction arises.
Isangi is nine months old and shows a lively, sometimes bossy streak as she tests boundaries and explores who she is within this tiny, developing social group. Baraka is five months old, calmer and more inclined toward sleeping and listening before joining in the playful interactions. The caregivers work in shifts to ensure uninterrupted supervision and emotional support, an approach that mirrors the steady presence of a mother in the nursery home of forest families. The care plan emphasizes feeding, movement, and close contact, with bottles of infant gorilla formula specially prepared to meet their nutritional needs. The infants are often carried to new experiences, a practice that echoes natural maternal behavior and helps them feel secure as they learn to move through their environment. The adults also sleep in the same space as the gorillas to provide warmth and reassurance during nighttime hours.
To protect the vulnerable youngsters from disease transmission, strict biosecurity is in place. Caretakers wear masks whenever near the infants, and the soles of their shoes are disinfected with a bleach solution to prevent any germs from entering their space. This careful routine allows the gorillas to grow with minimal exposure to outside threats while they explore, snuggle, and develop. The team tracks growth, appetite, weight, and social interactions, adjusting enrichment and micro-habitat experiences to support healthy development. In this environment, the infants practice social cues, learn to share, and gradually build the confidence needed to join a larger troop in the future.
Isangi and Baraka are expected to stay at the sanctuary for only a few months before moving to GRACE Gorilla Conservations and Rehabilitation Centre. At GRACE they will join a larger group of roughly a dozen other orphans living in a more naturalistic habitat. The plan is to raise them within a family unit so that, when the moment comes for a potential release into the wild, these gorillas already possess strong social bonds and a sense of belonging that supports survival, coordination, and careful integration into a forest ecosystem. The approach centers on patient introduction to forest living, ongoing social enrichment, and monitored progress to ensure each step strengthens their readiness for life outside captivity.