Update on Barbie
Remember the little orphaned gorilla, rescued after being shot by poachers? Thankfully, the youngster is now flourishing under the expert care of our Ape Action Africa partners, in Cameroon.
Barbie and Luci (c) Ape Action Africa
Many of you will have heard Barbie’s heartbreaking story, which we shared last November. Aged less than two years old, the young gorilla was rescued after her family were likely killed by illegal bushmeat hunters. Fortunately, Barbie was confiscated by Cameroon’s Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife and taken to Ape Action Africa’s sanctuaryApe Action Africa, in Mefou National Park.
Orphaned gorillas can be extremely fragile and, very sadly, some individuals are so traumatised and miss their families so much they shut down and don’t respond to care. But, we are so happy to report that Barbie is thriving. Boisterous and curious, she is recovering well from her injuries and making great strides towards being introduced to her new gorilla family at the sanctuary.
Barbie soon after she was rescued
“Barbie has made a fantastic start to life at the sanctuary” explains Ian Bickerstaff, an Ape Action Africa Trustee. “Our initial concerns about her state when she was rescued have quickly been replaced by excitement – she’s settled in so well and exudes such confidence.”
Barbie is currently having supervised interaction sessions with a female gorilla named Luci, who we hope will act as a surrogate mum to Barbie. Luci has been at Mefou since 2012 and is around 16 years old. As you can see, the two of them are getting along very well!
Ape Action Africa staff are excited to now continue Barbie’s introduction to the other members of Luci’s family. Luci will have her back when she meets some of the other adults for the first time. We look forward to sharing further updates once she is fully integrated into her new family.
You can help support the rescued gorillas at Mefou Primate Sanctuary, and protect gorillas in the wild, by adopting Born Free’s Gorilla Family.
ADOPT THE GORILLA FAMILY
The Gorilla Family are led by a powerful silverback called Bobo. Bobo was just a baby when he was rescued in 1999, after tragically being orphaned by the bushmeat trade. Today, the adopted family comprises seven individuals, four males – Bobo, Kibu, Nkamum and Eto’o, and three females – Geri, Avishag and Jasmine.
Your adoption will help to fund the lifetime care for Bobo and his family.