Kalonge was confiscated by the Congolese wildlife authority in March 2014 after villagers discovered her caught in a snare set near village called Kalonge by Kahuzi-Biega National Park. Kalonge was thin and dehydrated when found and had respiratory issues and a snare wound on her left wrist. Shortly after being rescued, she unfortunately fell out of a tree and broke her femur. Luckily, she received good medical attention and her injury healed well. She walks with a limp now because one leg is shorter than the other as a result of her injury. Today, she is one of the boldest members of the GRACE group. She even sometimes causes trouble by stealing food from other gorillas! Kalonge does not see eye to eye with the alpha female Pinga, but her caregivers think that is because Kalonge wants Pinga’s job as group leader! Despite her ambitious leadership aspirations, little Kalonge has many friends and loves to play all day every day!

Click here to read about Kalonge’s transfer to GRACE and integration.