Baby Gorilla Loses Mom To Illegal Wildlife Trade, Now Depends On Cuddles From His Caretaker

May 03, 2019

Although Bobga had a particularly rough start to life, things keep looking up for him. Once an orphan separated from his mother at a very young age due to poachers, Bobga is now living his best life at the Limbe Wildlife Center in Cameroon.

According to the Limbe Wildlife Center discovered Bogba last January in Cameroon. He was in a tied up in a tiny box and was estimated to be about 15 months old back then. 

The Wildlife Center feared something traumatic had happened to the baby gorilla. They surmised he and his mother were separated by force. Mother gorillas are known to be extremely protective of their babies.

Baby gorillas like Bogba are often stolen from their mothers to become pets or circus animals.

Bogba is one of the fortunate ones, however, as the support he has received since being discovered will assure his proper development.

Peggy Motch, a spokesperson for the LWC spoke about Bobgas recovery and told The Dodo:

“Bobga has grown into a playful, confident and strong gorilla; every day he exhibits the skills he would need to survive in a semi-free enclosure and, hopefully one day, for being back in the wild.”

The staff at LWC feel this goal of preparing Bogba for life on his own is one well within their reach.

Back in August, the LWC posted a picture on their social media of Bobga snuggling with one of his caretakers, Alvin, while he was taking a nap. The caption of the photo, which went viral, read:

"For orphan gorilla Bobga, foraging, playing, learning social skills, stimulating curiosity, climbing and grooming all are crucial elements of his rehabilitation, as is rest. It is important for him to feel safe and secure with his caretakers. And here this picture captures a tender moment of rest between Bobga and one of his dedicated caretakers, Alvin." 

In any event, it is obvious that the love and support given to Bogba has guaranteed the baby gorilla will not suffer the tragic fate of so many others.

Were you aware of the plight endured by baby gorillas who are separated from their mothers before reading this article? Pass this article along to your friends and family - it is just the thing to put a smile on their faces.