GRACE Gorillas

Located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) near the Tayna Nature Reserve, GRACE is the world’s only sanctuary for rescued Grauer’s gorillas, a critically endangered subspecies found only in eastern DR Congo. Grauer's gorillas have suffered a catastrophic population decline of nearly 80% in the past 20 years. Despite operating in one of the most remote, challenging areas of the world, GRACE has become an award-winning NGO that the local Congolese community describes as “an oasis of hope.” GRACE has 3 program pillars that receive equal focus: 1. Rewilding Grauer’s gorillas: GRACE runs the only sanctuary in the world for critically endangered Grauer’s gorillas rescued from wildlife trafficking. We are trailblazing better ways to release gorillas back into the wild. 2. Protecting forest habitat: GRACE is working to protect 500,000 acres of remote primary tropical forest. This area forms a key habitat for critically endangered Grauer’s gorillas. The Tayna Nature Reserve is a priority habitat for Grauer’s gorilla conservation, with important remaining Grauer’s populations living in the reserve’s boundaries. Already active in Tayna, GRACE is now working to connect this vital habitat to Maiko National Park with a new conservation corridor that establishes land rights for the local communities. 3. Engaging local communities: GRACE practices community-led conservation, including implementing locally-designed solutions, conservation education, sustainable livelihood and development projects, and biodiversity monitoring to foster peaceful coexistence between people and wildlife. Prioritizing the engagement of youth and women in ecological stewardship, GRACE continues to build conservation leadership programs in schools and local community groups.