Orphaned Gorilla Spends Her Final Moments in the Arms of the Man Who Rescued Her as a Baby

Ndakasi, an orphaned mountain gorilla, spent her final moments in the arms of the same man who had rescued her as a baby. ❤️🦍

Their extraordinary bond began in 2007, when wildlife rangers discovered the two-month-old gorilla clinging to her mother’s lifeless body in Congo’s Virunga National Park. Her mother had been killed by militia gunfire, leaving Ndakasi frightened, dehydrated, and struggling to survive.

Ranger André Bauma took the tiny gorilla into his arms and held her close to his chest throughout a cold, stormy night, keeping her warm and comforting her until morning.

His care helped save her life.

Because Ndakasi was too vulnerable to survive in the wild, she was raised at the Senkwekwe Center alongside other rescued mountain gorillas.

Over the next 14 years, Bauma became much more than her caretaker. He fed her, played with her, protected her, and treated her with the love and tenderness of a father.

Ndakasi grew into a playful gorilla who captured hearts around the world. She appeared in the documentary Virunga, where she was seen laughing while being tickled by a caretaker.

In 2019, she became an internet sensation after appearing to pose upright alongside fellow gorilla Ndeze in a viral selfie.

But after battling a prolonged illness, Ndakasi’s health began to deteriorate rapidly.

On September 26, 2021, at just 14 years old, she passed away peacefully while being held against Bauma’s chest.

The man who had comforted her during her first terrifying night without her mother was there to comfort her one final time.

Fourteen years apart, two heartbreaking moments, and the same loving arms holding her through both. ❤️