Senkwekwe Gorilla Orphanage in Virunga National Park is a significant wildlife conservation endeavor in Africa. Mountain gorillas are among the most fascinating animals in the wild. Every year, thousands of tourists flock to Africa in hopes of spotting them.

Mountain gorillas can be seen in only three countries: Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Though the gorillas appear to be the same in all three nations, monitoring them is a unique experience in each national park.

One advantage of tracking mountain gorillas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Virunga National Park is the opportunity to visit the world’s only mountain gorilla orphanage.

The Senkwekwe Centre is situated near the headquarters of Virunga National Park near the Mikeno Lodge. The center is named after the giant silverback gorilla “Senkwekwe,” who commanded the gorilla group Rugendo during a mass slaughter of some members by rebel soldiers sheltering in the game park in 2007.

The idea for the gorilla orphanage center arose after two orphaned gorillas (Ndakasi and Ndezi) rescued after the massacre and had no acceptable place to care for them. A decision was made to establish a centre to care for baby mountain gorillas who had lost their parents as a result of poaching, wildlife trafficking, or conflict between government forces and rebels in the park. The Senkwekwe center, which opened in 2010, has become regarded as the only site in the world.

Park near the Mikeno Lodge.

The center is named after the giant silverback gorilla “Senkwekwe,” who commanded the gorilla group Rugendo during a mass slaughter of some members by rebel soldiers sheltering in the game park in 2007. The idea for the gorilla orphanage center arose after two orphaned gorillas (Ndakasi and Ndezi) rescued after the massacre and had no acceptable place to care for them.

 A decision was made to establish a centre to care for baby mountain gorillas who had lost their parents as a result of poaching, wildlife trafficking, or conflict between government forces and rebels in the park. The Senkwekwe center, which opened in 2010, has become regarded as the only site in the world.

Mountain gorillas have lived successfully in captivity.

The Senkwekwe Gorilla Orphanage, led by Andre Bauma and managed by Virunga National Park, provides a unique chance for primate lovers to personally contribute to a meaningful conservation effort while also witnessing mountain gorillas interact closely with humans.

The centre’s Gorilla Doctors and caretakers assist in the protection and raising of the orphans. Gorilla specialists is a group of veterinary specialists working on several Gorilla conservation programs in Africa, including treating mountain gorillas in the wild. Senkwekwe Gorilla Orphanage.

Aside from mountain gorillas, the Senkwekwe Center also assists in rehabilitating juvenile Grauer’s gorillas (Eastern lowland gorillas) by taking them from traffickers, treating them for a set length of time, and then transferring them.

The Senkwekwe mountain gorilla refuge has also received accolades for its community outreach and educational programs surrounding the center.Keeping mountain gorillas in captivity is difficult and expensive. This accomplishment is even more impressive given the occasionally hazardous atmosphere in the park caused by insurgents.

It is important to note that the success of this mountain gorilla orphanage would not have been possible without significant funding from well-wishers, individuals, and, most importantly, gorilla conservation organizations such as the Murry Foundation, Gorilla Doctors, Dian Fossey Foundation, Gearing Up 4 Gorillas, The Howard Buffett Foundation, World Heritage Organization, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and others. Several of these groups have similar organizations, such as Congo’s Okapi Conservation Project, have received funding.

Gorilla orphans at the Senkwekwe Centre

Since its opening in 2010, the center has housed over six orphaned mountain gorillas. The gorillas remain in the orphanage for the rest of their lives, eventually forming their own group. One of the reasons the gorillas are unable to rejoin their previous families is that they have grown accustomed to living among humans, as well as the advantages and comforts of the enclosure.

 They would have a difficult time finding food without the sanctuary’s caregivers. Wild gorillas have social dynamics and hierarchies that orphans would struggle to understand. The only option for them is to stay with their new group of youths.

 Let us have a peek at some of the inmates since the centre opened:

Maisha (meaning “life”) was born in 2001 and was the first orphan to arrive at the Senkwekwe Gorilla Sanctuary. Her birth came amid a particularly terrible period in the park. A rebel group in Eastern DR Congo was using the area as a hideout.

Poaching and removal of park woods for farmland were still common. Maisha was kidnapped by poachers in 2004 and brought to a cave in neighboring Rwanda. Rwandan police and Volcanoes National Park workers received reports about her presence and rescued her from poachers. Senkwekwe Mountain Gorilla Orphanage.

Throughout her rescue, she was discovered underweight and in poor health, but fortunately, the Gorilla Doctors were present to care for her at their center in Rwanda. Maisha quickly regained her form and recovered from the significant trauma she had while in the hands of the poachers.

When the Senkwekwe center was completed in 2010, she was relocated to the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the age of nine. Maisha was a natural leader with maternal instincts. She became the matriarch as the number of orphans increased. As the eldest and without a dominant male, she helped maintain order among the warring members and safeguarded the caretakers as they went about their duties in the center. Unfortunately, Maisha developed a low Appetite and diarrhea persisted despite medication. She died after a lengthy illness whose reason was never determined.

Yalala:

A female member of the Kabirizi family. She was discovered lying on her back after being ensnared in a snare made by poachers. Her relatives attempted to set her free but abandoned her when there was nothing further they could do. Her foot was severely injured by the snare and had to be amputated.

Kaboko:

Another male orphan was seized in a snare put up by poachers. The snare caused a serious wound on his right hand, necessitating emergency amputation. Kaboko was lively and playful while in the center, although he experienced stomach and intestinal issues.

The 2012 unrest in the park, intense gunfire between government forces and rebels is thought to have stressed him out even more, leading to his death at the age of five in 2012. The gorilla doctors had returned to Rwanda and were unable to help him in such a difficult circumstance.

Ndakasi was a ten-year-old female who escaped the Rugendo group’s 2007 killing, led by Senkwekwe the Great Silverback. Because the Senkwekwe centre had not yet been completed, Ndakasi and another female Ndezi were initially relocated to a residence in Goma town. The conditions weren’t ideal.

The cage was small, making it impossible to maintain an acceptable degree of hygiene. Furthermore, as a huge and congested town, Goma has a noisy and dusty atmosphere. Ndakasi died on September 26, 2021, from a long-term illness. She had trouble eating, diarrhea, and lost weight.

Ndeze:

This ten-year-old female also survived the notorious 2007 slaughter of Rugendo family members by Senkwekwe. She was discovered clutching to the breast of her deceased mother. Senkwekwe’s mother, Safari, was a beloved part of the family.

She and Ndakasi were eventually moved from a Goma house to their new woodland home at the Senkwekwe Center.Senkwekwe SanctuaryMatabishi is a young male who was rescued and entered the orphanage in June 2010.

Matabashi was discovered abandoned in a cornfield near the park boundaries. It is thought that poachers fled. He approached the boundary out of worry that they might be apprehended by park rangers sooner or later. Maisha the Matriarch had a sweet spot for Matabashi and looked after him as if he were her own child. She would carry him on her back while grooming and shielding him from the other rebellious children.

Visiting Senkwekwe Center and Gorilla Orphanage

The Senkwekwe Centre is located near the beautiful Mikeno Lodge (about 10 minutes’ walk away). Visitors to the Senkwekwe Gorilla Sanctuary are typically those who have come to participate in some of the activities offered by Virunga National Park, such as chimpanzee trekking, Mount Nyiragongo mountaineering, gorilla trekking, bird watching, and game drives is ideal for individuals who have completed gorilla tracking and have the time to visit the Senkwekwe orphanage.

The visit to the orphanage is unique because mountain gorillas who live in enclosures and have regular contact with humans develop new characteristics that are not seen in the wild. One thing to watch out for is how they behave with humans vs those in the wild. Residents of Mikeno Lodge can visit the Senkwekwe gorilla orphanage free.

Those who have reservations at other hotels must contact the park ahead of time to inquire about visiting the center. The best method to accomplish this is through your travel operator from Naleyo tours and travels. The Senkwekwe Gorilla Orphanage is operated by a team of caregivers, gorilla medics, and Virunga National Park employees.

The caregivers spend all of their time with the orphans, ensuring that they are adequately fed and keeping an eye out for any signs of illness or mood changes. Medical personnel from the Gorilla Doctors make monthly visits to check on the infants and address any injuries or illnesses.

The location chosen for the gorilla orphanage is picturesque, with rich green woodland that provides similar living conditions to their relatives deep in the jungle. Other smaller primates, including as baboons, vervet monkeys, and colobuses, enjoy visiting the area, however the electric fence encircling the big forest perimeter keeps them out.

Before being introduced to the other gorillas in the orphanage, they were kept in a separate enclosure. There is a platform where guests can observe the caregivers feeding and playing with the orphans. Each orphan has a unique caretaker.

The link between caretakers and orphans is extremely strong, owing to the fact that gorilla newborns are significantly more affectionate than young children are new inhabitants who have just been rescued and are still too young are fed milk before being offered fruit and other natural greenery. Their diet consists primarily of carrots and cauliflower.

Food is purchased from Goma, while water for washing, cleaning, and cooking is obtained from a reservoir within the enclosure while it is vital for all wild creatures to live freely among themselves in the natural, the Senkwekwe mountain gorilla orphanage centre has demonstrated that it can provide the same wild environment but with more protection for the primates. By the end of the visit, you would have recognized the facility’s staff’s considerable efforts to ensure the primates’ survival.

Those who want to help the facility succeed can make gifts while visiting the center or sponsor a mountain gorilla. To volunteer or get involved with the Senkwekwe gorilla orphanage, contact the park’s management.Mikeno Lodge, in partnership with Virunga staff, may arrange a variety of additional activities in addition to visiting the enclosure.

Visitors can learn about the Congo Hounds initiative, which uses particular types of dogs with keen senses of smell to track down poachers. The other activity is to visit the food gardens and the cooperative society formed by the wives of fallen Park Rangers.