Adopt a Gorilla

Gorillas are being pushed closer to extinction. Three of the world’s four gorilla subspecies are Critically Endangered, while the mountain gorilla is Endangered. Western lowland gorillas – the subspecies at the heart of The Aspinall Foundation’s work – have declined by more than 60% in just 20 to 25 years. Poaching for bushmeat, habitat destruction and diseases such as Ebola continue to threaten wild populations. Young gorillas are also taken from the forest for the illegal pet trade, often after other members of their family have been killed. How your gorilla adoption helps overseas The Aspinall Foundation remains one of the only organisations in the world to send gorillas back to the wild. In nearly 40 years, we have returned more than 75 Western lowland gorillas to their natural habitat in Congo and Gabonwhere they have formed families and contributed to new wild generation. In 2021, Djongo & Mayombe made conservation history when they became the first captive-born gorillas to have a baby in the wild! Their daughter was named Taàli, meaning ‘hope’ in the local Batéké language. Her birth was not only a hugely significant achievement for conservation, but also a moving moving legacy for Taàli’s grandfather, Djala, Djala lost his family to poachers as an infant and endured terrible abuse before being rescued. In 2013, he returned to Africa with his son Djongo and spent his final years living wild and free in Gabon. Taàli’s birth shows what can be achieved when gorillas are given the opportunity to return to their natural habitat: they can thrive, form families and help build a stronger future for their species. Protecting gorillas in Congo and Gabon The Aspinall Foundation runs a gorilla orphanage and helps protect around one million acres of habitat across the Batéké Plateau in Congo and Gabon. We support park rangers, wildlife monitoring and action against poaching and the illegal wildlife trade. This includes a sniffer dog programme that helps detect trafficked animals and wildlife products and strengthens the enforcement of wildlife laws. Adopt a gorilla with The Aspinall Foundation and help us rescue and rehabilitate orphaned gorillas, return suitable animals to the wild and protect the landscapes they need to thrive. Fun facts about gorillas A gorilla’s noseprint is unique, much like a human fingerprint. Gorillas have longer arms than legs and usually move on all fours by supporting their weight on the knuckles of their curled hands. Each adult gorilla builds its own nest for sleeping, usually creating a fresh one every night. Gorillas communicate using facial expressions, body language and a wide variety of calls, grunts and other sounds. Although immensely powerful, gorillas are primarily plant eaters, feeding on leaves, shoots, stems, bark and fruit. Gorillas are the largest living primates, with adult males of some subspecies weighing more than 200kg. Young gorillas learn by watching and copying older members of their family, developing the skills they need as they grow.