Kent: Video Shows Gorilla Going Home
17 December 2013, 06:00
A new video captures exclusive footage of orphaned gorilla Djala as he journeys back to the wild with his family.
Pioneered by The Aspinall Foundation, a world-leading conservation charity, the Back to the Wild project is reintroducing critically endangered western lowland gorillas to their natural habitat. This ground-breaking project is helping to protect the species whose numbers have fallen by more than 60% over the last 20 - 25 years, due to high levels of hunting and disease-induced mortality.
The silverback and his family left Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in Kent in June to return home to Africa. As a baby, Djala was rescued from Africa and flown to the safety of Port Lympne, where he became one of the largest silverbacks in captivity, weighing 200kgs and fathering a total of 15 offspring.
The family have successfully settled into their new home in Gabon and are continuing to do really well.
The Back to the Wild Campaign operates in conjunction with Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, and has been made possible by generous gifts from supporters of the charity, partner DHL and the Gabonese Goverment. Read more about the extraordinary project here.