Meet Lutula
Gender:
Origin:
Arrival Date:
Age at Arrival:
Surrogate Mama:
Fun Facts:
Female
Lodja, Sankuru Province
March 18th, 2018
3 years
Peguy
Lutula is playful and outgoing; she loves inventing new games!
Introducing Lutula
Loveable Lutula graduated from the nursery in the summer of 2021, along with her best buddy Balangala. They joined the older bonobos in Group 1 and we can’t wait to see them grow up together. Lutula is very playful and social, a friend to everyone, and has many leadership qualities. This is an amazing change from where she began.
Her Journey
Lutula arrived at the sanctuary in February 2018 after her family was killed by poachers in the wild. When we rescued her from the wildlife trade in Kinshasa, she was in very bad condition. Malnourished, underweight, and frightened, little Lutula would have died if she had not come to us. Thankfully, with the care of our veterinary team, and the love of her new surrogate mother Peguy, Lutula slowly recovered.
Growing Into a Leader
Today, she is almost unrecognizable compared to the shy little girl who we met two years ago. Lutula is very close to her adopted mother Peguy and the two will always have a special relationship. She’s incredibly outgoing and loves to eat - so much so that the staff have teasingly started to refer to her as “The Foodmonster!” Lutula is very playful, and is always inventing new games.
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One of her favorite games is practicing building nests on the ground, which is a skill she will need as an adult in the wild. She loves little babies, and can be counted on to befriend the shy new arrivals. We’re grateful to have Lutula as part of our family at Lola and proud of how she has blossomed. Stay tuned as she grows up and becomes a charismatic leader at Lola!
