Lésio-Louna Reserve: Rewilding Western Lowland Gorillas in the Congo

The Aspinall Foundation has managed the Gorilla Protection Programme in Lésio-Louna Reserve, a roughly 173,000-hectare stretch of the Batéké Plateau about 150km north of Brazzaville, since the reserve's creation in 1999, working alongside Congo's Ministry of Forest Economy. The charity raises orphaned western lowland gorillas rescued from the bushmeat and pet trade and releases them into the reserve once they are old enough to fend for themselves; its largest troop, over 30 strong, is led by a silverback who arrived as an orphan in 1993. Since the wider reintroduction program began in 1989, The Aspinall Foundation has released more than 75 gorillas across its Congo and Gabon sites, recording over 40 births to released animals and a 95% annual survival rate among rewilded apes. Around the reserve, the Foundation also works with roughly 17,000 residents in nearby communities on more sustainable farming techniques and eco-tourism income.