Image: Legends and Legacies of Africa Organisation For over two decades, André Bauma has been committed to the welfare of orphaned mountain gorillas living in the Virunga National Park of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As the chief caretaker at the Senkwekwe Center, the only orphaned mountain gorilla sanctuary in the world, Bauma’s job is not only to feed and nurture the orphaned young gorillas who have been orphaned due to poaching, conflicts or illegal wildlife trafficking, but it is also about having enough patience, trust, and even a parental connection with animals that rely on human protection to survive. It was through the famous documentary film “Virunga,” released in 2014, that viewers from all over the world got to know about André Bauma and his exceptional work with orphaned mountain gorillas.
“I can say I am her mother”: André Bauma became a parent to orphaned mountain gorillas
As the head caretaker at the Senkwekwe Center, the world’s only sanctuary for orphaned mountain gorillas, André Bauma has devoted his life to raising infant gorillas that have lost their families to poaching, armed conflict and the illegal wildlife trade. Many arrive traumatised and too young to survive on their own, relying entirely on human care for food, comfort and protection.Bauma and his fellow caretakers bottle-feed the infants, monitor their health, play with them and spend almost every moment by their side, giving them the affection they would normally receive from their mothers. Speaking to the BBC, Bauma said caring for the gorillas is like raising children, recalling how he slept beside rescued gorilla Ndakasi, fed her and watched her grow. “I can say I am her mother,” he said, describing the extraordinary bond they developed over the years.That connection goes far beyond routine conservation work. In the 2014 documentary Virunga and in his conversation with the BBC, Bauma explains that every gorilla has a unique personality and communicates through its own sounds and behaviour. After years of living alongside them, he says he can recognise when they are frightened, playful or simply seeking comfort, a level of trust earned only through patience, consistency and unconditional care.
A sanctuary in the heart of one of Africa’s most dangerous conservation frontlines
The Senkwekwe Center sits within Virunga National Park, Africa’s oldest national park and one of the continent’s most biologically diverse protected areas. Covering nearly 7,800 square kilometres in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the UNESCO World Heritage Site encompasses an extraordinary range of landscapes, from dense lowland tropical rainforests and vast Rwindi savannas to the snow and glacier-capped Rwenzori Mountains. The park is also home to Nyamuragira and Nyiragongo, two of Africa’s most active volcanoes, creating habitats that support an exceptional variety of plants and animals, including endangered mountain gorillas, forest elephants, chimpanzees, okapis and hundreds of bird species.Yet Virunga’s remarkable biodiversity exists alongside one of the world’s longest-running humanitarian crises. For more than two decades, armed conflict in eastern Congo has exposed the park to militia activity, illegal mining, charcoal production, deforestation and commercial poaching. Wildlife populations have suffered severe declines, while park infrastructure has repeatedly been caught in the crossfire. Protecting the reserve has come at an enormous human cost: since 1996, more than 140 Virunga rangers have been killed while defending the park from armed groups and wildlife traffickers.Against this backdrop, the Senkwekwe Center has become a sanctuary not only for orphaned mountain gorillas but also for hope. Infant gorillas rescued after losing their families to violence or poaching receive around-the-clock care from dedicated rangers such as André Bauma, who provide the security, nourishment and emotional support the animals need to recover. In a landscape often defined by instability, the sanctuary stands as a rare place where endangered gorillas are given a second chance at life.
Virunga the documentary brought André Bauma’s work to the world
Released in 2014, the documentary “Virunga” captures the struggle of the park rangers working to protect Virunga National Park from threats posed by armed groups, poaching, and commercialization. André Bauma is among the people featured in the documentary; he gives audiences a glimpse into the relationship between man and orphaned mountain gorillas.The most touching scene in the documentary captures Bauma hugging and caring for the little gorillas with all the love of a parent; this depicts the amount of emotional investment needed in taking care of such animals who have suffered great losses.Bauma’s work is also representative of the sacrifice of the employees of Virunga. Over 140 park rangers have died in their efforts to save the park and its wildlife since 1996. Through André Bauma, conservation has come to mean more than just saving endangered species; it means compassion and trust as well.