One-Armed Gorilla Lengui Spotted with Newborn in Congo Reserve
On February 21, 2026, a camera trap at the Lésio-Louna Reserve in the Republic of Congo recorded Lengui, a western lowland gorilla with one arm, tenderly holding a newborn estimated to be just one week old. The Aspinall Foundation, which manages the reserve, revealed this finding after analyzing footage in April 2026. Now over 30 and approaching the end of her reproductive years, Lengui was rescued as an orphan in 1994 after her mother succumbed to a snare. In 2002, she lost her arm below the elbow due to a snare injury that required amputation. Tony King, the foundation's reintroduction coordinator, noted that images from late 2025 hinted at her pregnancy, with the baby likely born around Valentine's Day 2026. King praised Lengui's extraordinary journey, emphasizing her resilience after being orphaned, captured, and snared twice. The foundation rehabilitated her at the Brazzaville Gorilla Orphanage before her two releases into the wild.
Key facts
- Camera trap footage recorded on February 21, 2026, shows one-armed gorilla Lengui with a newborn.
- The birth was discovered in April 2026 when researchers reviewed footage from the Lésio-Louna Reserve.
- Lengui is a western lowland gorilla, over 30 years old, nearing the end of her reproductive lifespan.
- She was orphaned at 18 months when her mother was caught in a snare.
- In April 1994, she was rehabilitated at the Brazzaville Gorilla Orphanage run by The Aspinall Foundation.
- In April 2002, a snare injury led to amputation of her arm below the elbow.
- Tony King is the reintroduction coordinator for The Aspinall Foundation.
- The reserve uses 20 motion-sensor cameras checked every six weeks.
Entities
Institutions
- The Aspinall Foundation
- Brazzaville Gorilla Orphanage
- Odzala National Park
- BBC News
- PetaPixel
Locations
- Lésio-Louna Reserve
- Republic of Congo
- Pointe Noire
- Congo-Brazzaville