Rare mountain gorilla twins born in Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo

Conservationists in Virunga National Park say twin mountain gorillas have been born in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a rare occurrence for the endangered primate.

Community tracers found 22-year-old Mafuko cuddling her newborn on Saturday and said the mother and her two young sons appeared to be healthy.

Twin births are thought to account for about 1% of all mountain gorilla births, but specific data are not widely available.

Virunga is located in the conflict-ridden area of ​​the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is Africa’s oldest and largest national park. It was established 100 years ago to protect wild mountain gorillas. There are currently less than 1,100 wild mountain gorillas.

They are only found in Virunga and national parks on the borders of Rwanda and Uganda, according to the Red List of Threatened Species compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The last mountain gorilla twins born in Virunga National Park were in September 2020.

Mafuko herself gave birth to twins in 2016, but they both died within a week.

Young gorillas are completely dependent on their mothers for care and transportation, making them extremely vulnerable in a dangerous environment where poachers and many armed groups operate.

Park authorities said additional monitoring and protective measures have been put in place to ensure the twins’ survival during this critical period.

They said rangers will closely monitor the young family and provide support if needed.

A gorilla’s pregnancy lasts about eight and a half months, with females typically giving birth to a baby every four years.

According to Virunga conservationists, Mafuko himself has a remarkable survival history.

She was born into a Kabirizi family in 2003, and her mother was killed by armed attackers when she was four.

She joined the Bageni family at the age of 10 and has been pregnant and given birth five times to date.

Conservationists at Virunga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, say her latest offspring has given a major boost to efforts to protect endangered species.

Virunga’s mountain gorilla population has slowly increased over the past decade thanks to anti-poaching patrols and community-based programs supported by the European Union and UNESCO.

IUCN documented this success Collaboration with other partners resulted in its status being upgraded from “critically endangered” to “endangered” in 2018.

Virunga covers an area of ​​7,800 square kilometers (3,000 square miles) and has a stunningly diverse landscape – from active volcanoes and vast lakes to rainforests and mountains.