Four western lowland gorilla brothers from Port Lympne Reserve are bound for Congo as part of The Aspinall Foundation’s Back To The Wild initiative.
This October, The Aspinall Foundation, a world leading conservation charity based in Kent, will transport four western lowland gorilla brothers from Port Lympne Reserve to Congo, in partnership with The Ministry of the Environment and Forest of the government of Congo.
To support the move, the popular wild animal park and The Aspinall Foundation have launched a campaign encouraging the public to help support the gorillas in a variety of ways, whilst finding out more about their forthcoming journey.
Paul Farthing, CEO of Fundraising added: ‘We’d love our visitors and supporters to be part of the brothers’ journey and there are many ways that they can help, including visiting the boys before they go, downloading or making a bon voyage card, which we will be happy to display at Port Lympne, sending a message via our social media channels and of course, donating to help us continue our vital work with this critically endangered species.’
The brothers, Fubu, Kangu, Kebu and Kouyou, aged between 13 and 17 years old are favourites with keepers and visitors alike. Born at Howletts, but currently housed at Port Lympne Reserve, the four boys are preparing for their new life with subtle changes in diet and routine.
During the journey to Congo, and for the first few weeks of arrival, the brothers will be accompanied by the Foundation’s expert vet and one of their favourite keepers. Travelling by air, land and sea, the brothers will eventually have over 37 acres to call home.
Amos Courage, Overseas Project Director for The Aspinall Foundation, said: ‘This is the first repatriation of captive born gorillas to a protected reserve in the Republic of Congo. They will make their home on a specially prepared island, called Ndouna Island, which is on the edge of the Lesio Louna Reserve. The brothers will become ambassadors for their species, providing tourists an opportunity to view gorillas in their native habitat, subsequently maintaining the tourism revenue necessary to fund the protection and management of the Lesio Louna Reserve.’
To follow the brother’s journey home, please visit www.aspinallfoundation.org/congoiscalling