Sindila

Wild-caught gorillas like Sindila represent both a conservation challenge and an opportunity. Born in the forests of Gabon in March 2005, he was separated from his natural family as an infant and entered human care through circumstances that remain undocumented in his records.

His early months were marked by movement between facilities. By June 2005, at just three months old, he had already experienced multiple transfers before arriving at Projet Gorille Fernan-Vaz, where he has remained for nearly two decades.

As a western lowland gorilla, Sindila belongs to a subspecies facing extinction in the wild. The IUCN lists Gorilla gorilla gorilla as Critically Endangered, with populations under severe pressure from habitat loss and human encroachment across Central Africa. His presence at Projet Gorille Fernan-Vaz contributes to conservation efforts for his subspecies.

Now approaching his twentieth year, he has spent virtually his entire life in managed care. The facility where he lives focuses specifically on gorilla conservation work in the region where he was originally born.