Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Organizes Rescued Gorillas Airlift

Six orphaned Grauer’s gorillas (eastern lowland) found a safe haven this weekend with the help of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International and partners when they arrived safely at the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education center (GRACE) in the Democratic Republic of Congo, after driving across the Rwandan border and helicopter flights to the center. www.gorillafund.org

The six gorillas range in age from 5-10 years old, and were rescued from poachers in recent years in Rwanda and Congo. They were cared for in temporary facilities in Kinigi, Rwanda, by the Fossey Fund and the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project. Authorities in both Rwanda and Congo collaborated in returning these gorillas to their original ecosystem in Congo.

Partners in the airflift included the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Disney, MGVP, Rwanda and Congo park authorities (RDB and ICCN) , and Tropic Air Kenya.

These gorillas were orphaned because poachers frequently kill one or more adults to capture one infant in a group. These six gorillas, along with the seven already living at GRACE, will now learn essential skills for eventual re-release to the wild as a new group.

Contact Information

Elizabeth Wilson

Public Relations

Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International

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