Gorilla Spends her Last Minutes Hugging the Guy who Saved her when she was a Baby
It was 2007, deep in the verdant forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo, when a team of rangers from Virunga National Park stumbled upon a heartbreaking scene: a two-month-old mountain gorilla clinging to her mother’s lifeless body.
Poachers had cut her mother’s life short, and this tiny, defenseless infant was all alone in the world.
That infant would come to be known as Ndakasi, and her story—though it began in tragedy—would become a symbol of resilience, hope, and an extraordinary bond between a gorilla and the people who refused to let her die in despair.
In the days following her rescue, the park rangers brought Ndakasi to Virunga National Park’s gorilla orphanage, hoping that the caring staff there could help her survive.
Orphaned mountain gorillas often struggle greatly without the natural protection of their mothers.
They can become vulnerable to illness, malnutrition, and the stress of living in unfamiliar conditions.
But Ndakasi had something going for her—she’d already won the hearts of everyone around her.
People who were there at the time say that even though she was tiny, she had this intense presence about her.
“It was like she was begging us to keep her safe,” one ranger recalled. “We had no intention of letting her down.”
That rescue effort introduced Ndakasi to Andre Bauma, a caretaker at the park’s gorilla nursery who quickly became her fiercest protector.
Bauma, by his own account, was immediately taken with this wide-eyed little infant whose whole world had just turned upside down.
On Ndakasi’s first night away from her mother, a heavy rainstorm descended on the area—one of those storms that seems to soak everything, inside and out. Bauma refused to let Ndakasi face it alone.
He nestled the tiny gorilla against his bare chest, hoping that the warmth and rhythm of his heartbeat would bring her some comfort.
“During a heavy rainstorm that lasted all night, Andre hugged baby Ndakasi tightly to his bare chest to keep her warm and comfort her,” staff members later reported.
It was an extraordinary act of compassion, but one that Bauma and his colleagues saw simply as their duty. “We don’t abandon family,” he would say.
In the weeks and months that followed, Ndakasi began to grow stronger.
She learned how to play, how to socialize with other orphaned gorillas at the center, and how to communicate her ever-growing personality to the staff around her.
Bauma, however, remained her anchor. “He was like a father figure,” one of the park veterinarians explained.
“He was there when she cried, when she was sick, when she was trying to figure out life without her mom.” By all accounts, the love and care Bauma offered were crucial for the young gorilla’s survival.
It was not only about feeding her or making sure she had shelter; it was about emotional well-being—something orphaned gorillas desperately need.
Over time, Ndakasi transformed into a lively, mischievous adolescent with a penchant for posing for photos.
In 2019, Virunga National Park released a selfie that captured Ndakasi with some of the people she cared about most.
She stood upright, almost mimicking the humans in the photo, her expression both playful and curious.
The selfie went viral, serving as a sweet reminder that wildlife conservation isn’t merely about numbers and statistics—it’s about individual beings who possess their own personalities, quirks, and relationships.
For those who had been following her journey, it was wonderful to see Ndakasi so full of life.
“She’s quite the character,” one caretaker said with a laugh. “If she could, she’d probably take a hundred selfies a day.”
Despite the brightness in her days, Ndakasi’s life wasn’t all fun and games. She was, after all, an orphan living in captivity—a reality imposed on her by circumstances no one could change.
Poachers had stolen her mother from her, and for many orphaned gorillas, that loss of wild habitat and maternal protection can have long-term consequences.
Still, the caregivers at Virunga National Park’s Senkwekwe Center did everything in their power to create a safe, nurturing environment that mimicked gorilla family life as closely as possible.
They made sure Ndakasi had opportunities to socialize with other gorillas, climb trees, and even fling a bit of mud now and then, just like she would in the wild.
“We try to give them freedom,” one staff member explained. “We can’t replace the forest or their natural families, but we can give them love, security, and a sense of belonging.”
In September 2021, though, heartbreak struck once more. Ndakasi fell ill, and despite the best efforts of veterinary teams and caregivers, her condition rapidly worsened.
The staff who had known her since she was tiny could see that she was no longer her energetic, curious self.
She grew weak, and there were days when she could barely muster the strength to play with her fellow gorillas.
Bauma and the veterinary team worked tirelessly, administering medical treatments and monitoring her day and night. But ultimately, fate had other plans.
The official statement from Virunga National Park was brief but weighed heavily on readers’ hearts:
“It is with heartfelt sadness that Virunga announces the death of beloved orphaned mountain gorilla, Ndakasi, who had been under the care of the Park’s Senkwekwe Center for more than a decade.”
Nobody wanted this outcome—everyone had hoped she would pull through.
Some staff members admit to crying themselves to sleep, unable to shake the image of that once-lively young gorilla who could charm anyone with a tilt of her head and a playful grin.
As devastating as the loss was, there was some measure of solace in the way Ndakasi spent her final moments.
“On the evening of 26 September, following a prolonged illness in which her condition rapidly deteriorated, Ndakasi took her final breath in the loving arms of her caretaker and lifelong friend, Andre Bauma,” park officials shared.
That image—the orphaned gorilla who began her life in Bauma’s arms, leaving this world in the same comforting embrace—became a symbol of the bond they had forged over 14 remarkable years.
IMAGE: Facebook/Virunga National Park
For many who witnessed Bauma and Ndakasi together, that bond went beyond caretaker and animal; it was family.
Bauma himself admits that losing Ndakasi felt like losing a piece of his own heart.
“There is a bond that connects us,” he said not long before Ndakasi passed. “A really close bond between the guardians and the gorillas.”
The staff at the sanctuary echoed his sentiment, pointing out that every gorilla in their care has a name, a personality, and a story.
They celebrate the animals’ birthdays, mourn their losses, and dream of a day when these gentle creatures can thrive safely in the wild.
Though Ndakasi’s journey ended too soon, her life story resonates with everyone who cares about wildlife conservation.
She was more than a cute face—she was a testament to the possibilities that arise when compassion meets dedication.
Her caregivers at Virunga National Park, led by Bauma’s unwavering devotion, showed that there’s real hope in even the darkest circumstances.
They rescued a frightened little infant from a terrible fate and watched her grow into a joyful adolescent who touched hearts worldwide.
And when her time came, they wrapped her in the same kindness and warmth that had given her a second chance at life all those years ago.
In the end, many at Virunga still talk about Ndakasi as if she’s just out of sight, maybe swinging in a tree somewhere or taking another mischievous selfie with a caretaker who forgot to lock his phone.
She remains a vivid presence in their hearts. Her story also serves as a poignant reminder of why conservation efforts are so crucial and why the dedicated folks at Virunga continue risking their lives to protect these magnificent creatures.
“If we don’t stand up for them,” one ranger said, “who will?” And Ndakasi, in her brief but luminous life, stood for everything they hope to achieve—compassion, survival, and an abiding sense of love.
