When animals lose their parents, they have to depend on the kindness of people to keep living. It’s good that many people make it their life’s work to care for these animals and can form close bonds with them like a parent would with a child.
One viral picture showed two orphaned gorillas taking a “selfie” with one of the people who had taken care of them. This picture shows the trust between these animals and their caretakers.
One of these gorillas died recently, which is sad. However, another picture shows that her friendship with her human friends stayed strong until the end.
Found to be a child without parents.
The goal of the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is to protect the native plants and animals, including a group of mountain gorillas that are very close to extinction. These gorillas are in danger because people hunt them illegally in the park.
In April 2007, park rangers came across a terrible scene: a two-month-old baby gorilla was found clinging to the dead body of her mother, who an armed militia had shot. The location of crime took place in a national park.
Andre Bauma, a ranger at Virunga National Park, felt an instant connection with the baby gorilla when they took her in after finding out she was an orphan. Virunga said in a news release, “All night long, Andre held the baby close to him. He pressed the baby’s small body against his bare chest to keep her warm and comforted.” “Andre spent the night with the baby.”
The orphaned gorilla, whose name was changed to Ndakasi, was able to live a happy life at the park. She lived with another orphan, whose name was changed to Ndeze, and stayed close to her caretakers.
Viral selfie
In 2019, the whole world could see the gorillas’ friendship because their unique and beautiful picture went viral.
In the picture, Ndakasi and Ndeze take a “selfie” with their friend and caretaker, Mathieu Shamavu. Both gorillas are standing perfectly still and seem to be striking a pose for the camera:
The picture went viral quickly, and many people didn’t believe it was real. On the other hand, the picture showed how close these gorillas were to the people who took care of them and how much they trusted them.
On Instagram, the park wrote, “Those gorilla women are always acting naughty, so this is a great picture of who they are!”
Mathieu told The Dodo, “I’m still in touch with them, and they make me feel good.”
An announcement from the park says that Ndakasi died on September 26 after a long battle with illness.
But a bittersweet and tragic photo shows that she was not left alone when she died. Instead, she was held by her longtime friend Andre Bauma, the same park ranger who had cared for her when she was an orphan many years ago.
Andre said in a statement that it was an honor to help and care for such a loving animal, especially since Ndakasi had been through so much trauma at such a young age. “It was an honor to help and care for such a kind animal,” The researcher who studied Ndakasi said, “His kindness and intelligence helped me understand the connection between humans and big apes and why we must do all in our power to safeguard them.”
“Having Ndakasi as a friend makes me very happy. I had a childlike affection for her, and her bright and bubbly personality made me smile whenever I was with her.
Also, the park remembered with fondness the selfie that helped make her famous, saying that it helped spread a positive message about gorillas and the people who care for them. “Their playfulness was a reminder to the world of how much we see ourselves in these animals,” Virunga wrote, which is why Andre Bauma will miss her so much. “Their playfulness showed how much we are like these animals,” said a scientist.
Rest in peace, Ndakasi. Two beautiful pictures show how close and loving the relationship between an orphaned animal and the person caring for it. We are sure that everyone who knew and cared about her will miss her very much.
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