# @natgeo on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CPOAnTytzyb
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/11684539-natgeo-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/b9e1965de4.jpg
- **Posted:** 2021-05-23T14:31:11.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** National Geographic (@NatGeo) — https://gondola.cc/NatGeo

## Caption

Photo by brentstirton / Matabishi is a mature blackback mountain gorilla about to become a silverback. He was rescued in 2013 as a baby and raised at the Senkwekwe Gorilla Orphanage Center inside Virunga National Park. This image shows Matabishi as he is today. Here’s a quote directly from gorilla doctors when they rescued Matabishi: “Matabishi was found alone in a cornfield outside of Virunga National Park in late June 2013. He was ranging alone for days approximately one kilometer outside of the forest before a local alerted the wildlife authorities. The infant had a large wound on his back, possibly due to a rope restraint, suggesting he may have been a victim of gorilla trafficking and had been held captive by poachers for several weeks. ICCN rangers slept in the cornfield to protect the infant until the rescue. The infant let Dr. Eddy approach him and allowed the gorilla doctor to administer a light sedative for the 27-kilometer, bumpy ride to Rumangabo. The infant took the ride very well, curled up safely in Dr. Eddy’s arms. Although it is likely that the infant was poached from a wild gorilla group, he was definitely over-habituated to humans at the time of his rescue. The youngster was most comfortable resting next to people or sitting in someone’s lap. Innocent Mburanumwe, then chief of monitoring and rangers at Virunga National Park, named the orphan Matabishi, which means ‘bonus’ in Swahili. As soon as park rangers were notified of the solitary infant ranging outside of the park, they checked the two habituated mountain gorilla groups ranging nearby, Mapuwa and Lulengo, for missing gorillas. All individuals were accounted for, making little Matabishi a ‘bonus’ gorilla.” virunganationalpark gorilladoctors natgeo #endangeredspecies #conservation #gorillaranger #campaignfornature

Check out Nat Geo's link in bio for more on this story.

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 250,429
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 978

## Tags

campaignfornature, conservation, gorillaranger, endangeredspecies

---
Copyright (c) Gondola