Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education (GRACE) Center

Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education (GRACE) Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the U.S. that operates the world’s only sanctuary for Critically Endangered Eastern Lowland Gorillas, also known as Grauer’s gorillas, in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo).

The largest primate in the world, Grauer’s gorillas only live in war-torn eastern DR Congo. Their numbers have dropped by nearly 80% in the past 20 years. They are considered one of the 25 most endangered primates in the world with only 6,800 individuals remaining in the wild. GRACE cares for orphaned gorillas rescued from wildlife trafficking and works to rehabilitate them so they can one day return to the wild. At GRACE, the gorillas live in a single gorilla group that functions as a foster family and spend their days in protected forest habitats.

Outside of the sanctuary, GRACE also leads field research and partners with local communities on education and conservation initiatives to protect a critical population of wild gorillas living in nearby Tayna Nature Reserve. GRACE works hand-in-hand with local communities on conservation education, forest protection, and sustainable livelihoods to help secure a future for orphaned gorillas and their wild counterparts and to foster a peaceful coexistence between humans and gorillas.

View Accreditation press release here.