News Release: Critically Endangered Gorilla Infant Rescued in Cameroon

03 Oct 2024
 
Mefou Park, Cameroon -- A Critically Endangered gorilla infant has been confiscated by the Cameroon Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF) and entrusted to the safety and care of Ape Action Africa.

The infant female had been shot, her skull was fractured, with wounds around her waist from rough restraints, and she was terrified. 

“Gorilla infants are fragile. It was days until we even knew whether she would allow us to help her.” Director Rachel Hogan, O.B.E., said. “And not knowing the extent of her injuries during that time, we couldn’t speculate on her chances of survival.”

Surgery by AAA’s veterinary staff removed part of the bullet, which had broken apart. Now recovering, the infant is under 24-hour care from one of AAA’s most experienced gorilla caregivers.

The infant has been named Barbie, for one of Ape Action Africa’s close supporters. Barbie’s estimated age is 18-24 months old; The only way she would have been separated from her family would have been for the entire family to have been slaughtered by poachers. 

Once Barbie has completed her quarantine, she will join other gorilla rescues in a lush, forested habitat. Currently there are no release sites for returning Critically Endangered Western Lowland gorillas into the wild in Cameroon.

Background
In the town of Lomié, a “Wandering Bus” from Prague Zoo was approached by a man offering an infant gorilla that he claimed to have found in a plantation. The MINFOF Eco-guard accompanying the bus contacted the MINFOF Chef d’Antenne of Lomié and the Biomonitoring Officer for the African Wildlife Foundation.Tthe confiscation was carried out and the infant immediately transported to AAA.

Western Lowland Gorillas are a Critically Endangered species. They are plagued by global smuggling, which has resulted in a population decline of over sixty pervent in the past 25 years. Cameroon, in western Central Africa, is one of the last places on earth where gorillas still exist in the wild. Sign AAA’s letter here to ask the social media giants to help interrupt this horrific trade:  http://friendsofapeactionafrica.org/letter.html
 
About Ape Action Africa (AAA) 
AAA cares for the largest population of rescued gorillas in the world. A conservation sanctuary for endangered primates in Cameroon, founded in 1996, AAA is based in the Mefou Park, in the Congo Basin tropical rainforest, where 287 rescued primates live under their protection. https://friendsofapeactionafrica.org

About Ministère des Forêts et de la Faune (MINFOF)
MINFOF, the  Cameroon Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, has been a partner of Ape Action Africa for 27 years. AAA serves as a technical advisor to the ministry on primates both captive and wild.  https://www.minfof.gov.cm/en/index.php

About The Wandering Bus 
The Wandering Bus is a program of the Prague Zoo designed to benefit the children of Cameroon by teaching them about and showing them elements of their own natural heritage, including the gorillas  under protection at Ape Action Africa. https://www.zoopraha.cz/en/about-zoo/news/11643-the-new-wandering-bus-has-started-to-fulfil-its-mission
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Contact: 
Susan Lutter, Ape Action Africa 
+1 650 283 5271, Susan@FriendsofApeActionAfrica.org
 
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