Update: Orphaned Mountain Gorilla Alive and Healthy

As we reported in December 2004, a young mountain gorilla was confiscated from four poachers by Rwandan police and the Rwandan Office of Tourism and Parks (ORTPN), during an undercover operation to intercept an illegal poaching incident. The young female gorilla, estimated to be between 3 years of age at the time, was not expected to survive.

Today, the gorilla is healthy, curious and full of energy, and remains in the care of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Programme, ORTPN, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, ICCN (the government agency responsible for conservation in the Democratic Republic of Congo), with support from AWF's International Gorilla Conservation Program (IGCP) when necessary.

Authorities have tried to determine which gorilla group she was taken from but have been unsuccessful. At the time of confiscation, the poachers said that she was from a group in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Authorities then checked all the habituated gorilla groups in DRC and all individuals were accounted for, which means she came from a group unhabituated to researchers. "Unfortunately, despite extensive patrolling, we were unable to locate the site of the poaching incident," said Maryke Gray of IGCP.

Given the name Maisha, which means "life," the young orphaned gorilla may someday rejoin her wild counterparts in her native habitat within the Virunga mountains. Ultimately, the future of the gorilla will be determined by the park authorities of Rwanda and DRC, according to the World Conservation Union's (IUCN) Guidelines for the Placement of Confiscated Animals. A committee has been appointed to advise what would be best for the long-term health and safety of Maisha.

Today, one of the main groups working on mountain gorilla conservation is the International Gorilla Conservation Program (IGCP), a coalition founded and spearheaded by the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) and comprised of AWF, Fauna & Flora International, and the World Wide Fund for Nature. IGCP promotes widespread support for conservation among local communities and interest groups, with the ultimate goal of conserving the fragile population of mountain gorillas. IGCP is also working with partners to combat poaching for the illegal trade in gorillas, which is a key threat to the approximately 700 remaining mountain gorillas.

Keep watching our website for more updates on the fate of Maisha and her mountain gorilla kin.