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Project Protection des Gorilles, The Lesio-Louna Sanctaury
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Commercial hunting for the bush meat trade, the devastating impact of the Ebola virus, and the destruction of forest habitats, threatens the survival of Africa's western lowland gorillas. One direct result of the bush meat trade is the number of orphaned infant gorillas. Ranging in age from a few months to a few years, these orphans are too young to eat. Furthermore, they are worth more as pets than they are as food. To combat the trade in orphaned gorillas in the Republic of Congo, the John Aspinall Foundation established an orphanage in the capital city of Brazzaville in 1986. Their aim was to eventually release the orphans back into the wild. In the early 1990s, reconnaissance for a release site was found in the Lesio-Louna Sanctuary, rolling grasslands and forests some 140 kms north of Brazzaville which borders the Lefini Forest Reserve. Project Protection des Gorilles is now a partnership between the John Aspinall Foundation and the Republic of Congo's government.
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