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How did Ndakasi die? Famous 'selfie' gorilla died in the arms of man who saved her

The orphaned gorilla at Congo's Virunga National Park was pictured in her final moments as she was held by her caretaker Andre Bauma
PUBLISHED OCT 6, 2021
Ndakasi was pictured in her final moments as she was held by her caretaker Andre Bauma (Virunga National Park)
Ndakasi was pictured in her final moments as she was held by her caretaker Andre Bauma (Virunga National Park)

A famous mountain gorilla who became an internet sensation after posing for a selfie with a park ranger has tragically died in the arms of her "lifelong" pal who rescued her when she was a baby.

Ndakasi, an orphaned gorilla at the Virunga National Park in eastern Congo, was pictured in her final moments as she was held by her caretaker Andre Bauma, 49. The gentle beast, who died aged just 14, was saved by Virunga rangers as a two-month-old infant after they found her clinging to the lifeless body of her mother, who had reportedly been fatally shot by armed militia hours earlier. Ndakasi was subsequently transferred to the park's Senkwekwe Center with a fellow orphaned gorilla Ndeze, and the pair grabbed headlines when they appeared in a selfie with park ranger Mathieu Shamavu in 2019, the Daily Mail reported.

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A statement from the Senkwekwe Centre noted how the beloved gorilla died following a "prolonged illness in which her condition rapidly deteriorated" after more than a decade of care at the park. Ndakasi died in the arms of Bauma, who had held the gorilla as an infant close to his chest following her mother's demise 14 years earlier.

The gentle beast, who died aged just 14, was saved by Virunga rangers as a two-month-old infant after they found her clinging to the lifeless body of her mother, who had reportedly been fatally shot by armed militia hours earlier. (Virunga National Park)

A heart-rending photograph of Ndakasi's final moments shows the gorilla leaning her head on Bauma's chest as she drew comfort from his warm embrace. "It was a privilege to support and care for such a loving creature, especially knowing the trauma Ndakasi suffered at a very young age," Bauma said in a statement. "One could say that she took after her mother, Nyiransekuye, whose name means 'someone happy to welcome others.' It was Ndakasi's sweet nature and intelligence that helped me to understand the connection between humans and Great Apes and why we should do everything in our power to protect them." He added, "I am proud to have called Ndakasi my friend. I loved her like a child and her cheerful personality brought a smile to my face every time I interacted with her. She will be missed by all of us at Virunga but we are forever grateful for the richness Ndakasi brought to our lives during her time at Senkwekwe."

Ndakasi was born at a time when the global population of mountain gorillas was largely threatened.  (Virunga National Park)

As mentioned, Ndakasi became a global sensation after posing for a selfie with Ndeze and park ranger Shamavu. He said he was checking his phone when he saw the two female gorillas mimicking his movements, and so decided to take a picture with them. The orphaned omnivores looked like they were posing for the camera with Shamavu, thereby elevating them to internet stardom.

Ndakasi became a global sensation after posing for a selfie with Ndeze and park ranger Shamavu.  (Virunga National Park)

Ndakasi's life was chronicled in Virunga, a documentary that saw the mountain gorilla being playful as she was tickled by a caretaker. The beloved ape survived the massacre of her family at the hands of armed militia in 2007, but was too vulnerable to return to the wild after the trauma of losing them followed by a lengthy rehabilitation.

Ndakasi's life was chronicled in Virunga, a documentary that saw the mountain gorilla being playful as she was tickled by a caretaker.  (Virunga National Park)

The gorilla massacres reportedly led the Congolese authorities to undertake institutional and security reforms within the National Park, and as result, strengthened the protection of the endangered species. It's worth noting that Ndakasi was born at a time when the global population of mountain gorillas was largely threatened. Over the course of her life, however, the species grew by 47 percent -- from 720 individuals in 2007 to an estimated 1,063 at the time of her death, the Daily Mail reported.

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