A rescued gorilla who was returned to the wild has given birth, marking a milestone for one of the world’s rarest apes.

Lulingu, an eastern lowland gorilla, gave birth on Mount Tshiaberimu in Virunga National Park in May. The news was announced in September.

She was rescued at 18 months from the illegal wildlife trade and raised at the GRACE gorilla sanctuary. In December 2024, she was one of four orphans rewilded in a historic release — the first of its kind for the species.

The father is Mwasa, the area’s dominant silverback. Conservationists called the birth proof that orphaned Grauer’s gorillas can be returned to the wild and breed successfully.

Eastern lowland gorillas, also called Grauer’s gorillas, are critically endangered. Fewer than 7,000 remain in the wild, all in eastern Congo. The GRACE sanctuary cares for orphaned gorillas rescued from poachers. Conservationists say Lulingu’s birth shows sanctuary-raised gorillas can thrive in the wild.