The death of an orphaned gorilla was bad news to the tourist industry. It was not a normal gorilla but a domestic one, which appeared in a trending picture in 2019 with the owner. The animal deceased at the age of 14.
The animal was given the name Ndakasi. The gorilla experienced illness last month. Reports from Virunga National Park confirmed the gorilla had an unknown disease in late September. Virunga is one of the best national parks in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The statement narrated, “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,”
He died while in the arms of a long-time serving caretaker. Mr. Andre Bauma was the best friend to Ndakasi. He was the only person who could communicate with the animal favorably. The sick animal showed signs of healing the same day it passed away.
The mountain gorilla has been in Virunga park for almost 13 years old. Her mother died while two months old. Virunga Rangers found Ndakasi clinging to the deceased body of her mother. A postmortem indicated that her mother had died of a bullet shot by an unknown militia. The sad gorilla was taken to Goma, where she met the caretaker of her life, Bauma. They have had a good relationship since day one.
The Park admitted that Bauma held the baby gorilla in his arms the whole night. The man kept the gorilla’s tiny body on top of his chest for comfort and warmth. They were too close as the animal gasped faster. But after one week, the animal had adapted.
Though she looked okay, at some point the animal wanted to return to the wild forest. Along with other minor orphaned gorillas, they were taken to Virunga National Park, in a region called Senkwekwe Center. It is the best place in Africa where an orphaned mountain gorilla can grow. At that place, she met others and life began.
While transferring to Virunga, they did not part ways with her caretaker. For almost 11 years they have been together. The orphaned gorilla loved Andrew like her brother.
Ndakasi has lived a happy life. Media personalities used to visit the animal every week for pictures. She appeared in the Virunga documentary. But it wasn’t until 2019 that a viral photograph of Ndakasi and Bauma went viral. They had taken selfies together.
The MetroUK tweeted on their account: ‘The viral photo had people in stitches at the way Ndakasi mimics Mathieu Shamavu, who along with Andre Bauma, rescued her in 2007.’
Mr. Andrew and the animals had a playful nature daily. The park confirmed that the caretaker shed tears after the death of the gorilla. Everyone is going to miss her. Bauma opened up on their relationship. It comes out clearly that he has learned a lot from the connection we have with the animals.
He proceeded, “I loved her like a child and her cheerful personality brought a smile to my face every time I interacted with her.”
Furthermore, he is grateful for the richness that the young gorilla has brought to the Virunga society.
Virunga documentation showed that Ndakasi was born when the gorilla population was going low. The Congolese authorities managed to come up with a plan to take care of the species. They have multiplied by around 50%.
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