Gorillas are vegetarians and in the wild they eat many different species of plants. They especially like leaves, young shoots and the juicy inner part of the stems. A diet of fruits and vegetables can never be a good replacement for this forest diet, so that is why we harvest food plants in the forest.

The Limbe Wildlife Centre takes care of 16 gorillas. Like all the animals in the LWC, they were rescued from people who were illegally keeping or trading them. When new animals arrive at the LWC, they are often physically and psychologically damaged. With a lot of care, we see our animals change from scared, malnourished creatures into confident, healthy primates.

The most important factor in their rehabilitation is without doubt social contact with animals of their own species. Our gorillas are housed in two different groups, that resemble the family groups that are found in the wild. The second important factor is space. Although we cannot offer our animals a real forest, our gorillas have spacious enclosures with high trees to climb, climbing structures, hills, pools, etc. Finally, it is important to feed the animals a diet that resembles the diet they would eat in the wild as much as possibible. For gorillas that means a lot of fibrous plant material.

It is a lot of work to collect enough browse for 16 gorillas. The bundles need to be cut and transported, which is done by a group of ex-hunters. Three times a week they leave their village very early in the morning to collect the browse and carry it on their heads to the road side. There we buy it from them. It is great that we can offer these people an alternative livelihood that is sustainable for the forest. The browse men appreciate the regular income and have become our biggest ambassadors in their own village, which is known for its lively bush meat market.

If you want to help us take care of our gorillas, please make a donation through the paypal option on this page.

Best wishes,

Simone