07/05/2025
Ndakasi: The Gorilla Who Took Her Last Breath in the Arms of Love
What you see is more than just a photo.
It’s a goodbye wrapped in silence.
Ndakasi was no ordinary gorilla. She was a survivor. A symbol. A soul who endured tragedy and grew in love, thanks to the unwavering devotion of one man a wildlife ranger named André Bauma.
Ndakasi was no ordinary gorilla. She was a survivor. A symbol. A soul who endured tragedy and grew in love, thanks to the unwavering devotion of one man — a wildlife ranger named André Bauma.
Her story began in the dense jungles of Congo’s Virunga National Park. At just two months old, she was found clinging to her mother’s lifeless body a victim of poachers. She didn’t run. She held on, refusing to let go of the only love she had ever known.
Then came André. No tools. No tranquilizers. Just his arms.
He picked up the tiny, trembling gorilla and held her against his chest. He stayed with her through the night body warmth against body warmth willing her to survive.
She did.
From that night forward, their lives would be intertwined. Ndakasi was raised at the Senkwekwe Center, the world’s only orphanage for mountain gorillas. With André always nearby, she learned how to trust again. How to feel safe. How to live.
And as she grew, she didn’t just survive she became a beacon of hope. In 2019, Ndakasi went viral in a selfie that melted millions of hearts. She stood tall beside a ranger, posing with a sly, human-like smile a face full of personality and resilience. But behind that viral moment was a history of pain, healing, and profound connection.
Ndakasi had survived war, habitat loss, and unimaginable trauma.
But what kept her alive wasn’t just care it was love. A constant, quiet presence named André, who never once let her face the world alone.
When illness came in 2021 and her body began to fade, it was André who stayed by her side. No headlines. No cameras. Just the same arms that once saved her. And when she knew it was time to let go, she rested her head on his chest… and slipped away in peace.
And in her final moment, she reminded us what truly matters presence, compassion, and the quiet power of holding on until the very end.
It’s about loyalty. Grief. The kind of love that doesn’t shout, but simply stays.
Ndakasi wasn’t just a wild animal.
She was a witness to the best and worst of humanity.
And in her final moment, she reminded us what truly matters — presence, compassion, and the quiet power of holding on until the very end.
So remember her name: Ndakasi.
The gorilla who made the world smile and who died in the arms of love.