Isangi

Eastern Lowland gorillas face extinction in the wild, making every captive-born individual precious for conservation efforts. Born in Congo on December 1, 2011, Isangi came into the world as the daughter of wild-born parents, carrying genes that trace directly back to the dense forests of her ancestral home.

Her early months were spent learning the fundamentals of gorilla behavior from her mother. Wild-born parents often bring invaluable natural behaviors to their offspring, even in captive settings. This maternal guidance proved essential during her first year of life.

By August 2012, when she was just eight months old, circumstances required a temporary relocation. She spent several weeks at an interim facility before arriving at her permanent home at Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center in September 2012.

Now over a decade old, she represents hope for her subspecies. Grauer’s gorillas have suffered devastating population declines in their native Democratic Republic of Congo, earning their Critically Endangered status from the IUCN. Her presence in managed care contributes to both educational outreach and potential future breeding programs designed to maintain genetic diversity for this vanishing species.