Orphan Gorilla in Safe Hands
This female gorilla, named Waly, was handed to The Aspinall Foundation’s flagship project in Gabon recently after her parents were killed by poachers.
It is thought that she spent a few weeks in the hands of hunters before they passed her to POG Zoo Parc in January this year – she was estimated to be approximately two years old and weighed 2.9kg.
Not much is known about Waly’s past although when she arrived at POG she was extremely undernourished and dehydrated and despite concerted efforts would only eat bananas.
Amos Courage Overseas Project Director said: ‘Most orphaned gorillas are left to die after their families have been killed. Occasionally orphans are smuggled into major cities and sold to expats who would pay large sums for an endearing gorilla baby. Thanks to the work of The Aspinall Foundation educating expats, this trade has all but dried up. Sadly the bushmeat trade still thrives and the difficulty now is tracking down these orphan gorillas that are usually left to die in remote towns and villages.’
Waly was looked after at POG by an expatriate French couple who taught her how to climb trees and find the correct food sources such as fruits and leaves. As she regained her strength they decided to hand her to The Aspinall Foundation’s project in Gabon, Project de Protection des Gorilles.
Nicolas Bout Project Director said: ‘Waly is very affectionate and calm, she loves to play, climb and eat fruits but she is not so keen on the rain and doesn’t like to be alone.’
The Aspinall Foundation, founded by John Aspinall, has been working with the governments of Congo and Gabon to preserve 1 million acres of unique savannah ecosystem called The Batéké Plateau, which spans both of these countries. Project de Protection des Gorilles aims to rehabilitate and reintroduce gorillas to protected areas within this reserve.
Amos added: ‘Waly will have a second chance at a normal life when she is reintroduced to the wild by The Aspinall Foundation.’
The Aspinall Foundation is a registered charity dedicated to conservation and has projects both in the UK and overseas. These projects are entirely funded by the charity and rely heavily on donations.
