Rescued gorilla Bili arrives at Republic of the Congo sanctuary

: Bili the rescued gorilla rests in the arms of a caregiver from the Jane Goodall Institute.

Three years after her rescue in Lagos, Bili the gorilla has arrived at a sanctuary in the Republic of the Congo. Her journey from Nigeria took three days. It brings her to a new stage of rehabilitation, with conservationists hoping she may eventually join a gorilla reintroduction programme.

Bili was targeted by wildlife traffickers before her rescue. In 2023, she was placed in the care of the Pandrillus Foundation. Staff cared for her for the next three years, during which she underwent veterinary screening and DNA testing.

Her move began on September 21, 2026, with a road journey of about 22 hours from Calabar to Lagos. On September 22, she flew from Lagos to Pointe-Noire via Libreville, Gabon.

She arrived the following day and completed the final stretch by road to the institute’s Tchimpounga sanctuary.

Bili travelled in a cargo crate built for her with familiar and experienced people: Imelda Effiong, her caregiver of three years, and Dr Rebeca Atencia, executive director and head veterinarian of the Jane Goodall Institute’s Republic of the Congo programme.

At Tchimpounga, Bili will receive further veterinary care and rehabilitation. The facility is best known for its work with chimpanzees, but it also looks after another gorilla and more than 150 chimpanzees.

Atencia said its team would attend to Bili’s physical, behavioural and social needs. At Tchimpounga, Bili will receive specialist veterinary care and rehabilitation.

“Our team will provide Bili with specialised veterinary care, rehabilitation, and the opportunity to thrive,” Atencia said.

The sanctuary is best known for its work with chimpanzees and cares for more than 150 chimpanzees.

DHL Express planned Bili’s cargo flight through Libreville and coordinated cross-border support with teams in Nigeria, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire and Congo.

Bili’s transfer needed road transport, veterinary oversight, security and customs clearance alongside the flight.

Anthony Beckley, DHL’s vice-president for operations and aviation in sub-Saharan Africa, said, “This was far more than a flight. It was a carefully coordinated conservation operation that required specialist animal care, regulatory compliance, security, ground transportation and aviation expertise across several countries.”

Bili the gorilla's cargo crate aboard a DHL Express flight.

DHL joined United for Wildlife’s Transport Taskforce in 2014; its members work with conservation groups and law enforcement to prevent traffickers from using transport networks.