Who-hoo’s your mama? Rare gorilla twins are born as mother is found cradling two sons in
A pair of mountain gorilla twins were born to a 22-year-old ape in a remote forest in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The birth was discovered on January 3 by conservationists at Virunga National Park, who have said the babies ‘appeared to be in healthy condition at the time of the observation.’
Twin births are rare – thought to account for only 1% of all mountain gorilla births.
The mother, Mafuko, who has given birth five times, is part of the Bageni family, a gorilla family consisting of 59 apes.
They are the largest gorilla family within the endangered population that inhabits Virunga.
Virunga, Africa’s largest and oldest national park, spans over 3,000 square miles and was set up to protect mountain gorillas.
Fewer than 1,100 mountain gorillas are left in the wild and, the species can also be found in national parks in Rwanda and Uganda, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Their survival in Virunga is in danger, as much of the park is under rebel control and fighting has led to the destruction of nature and wildlife.
The birth was discovered on January 3 by conservationists at Virunga National Park
The mother, Mafuko, is part of the Bageni family, a gorilla family consisting of 59 apes
Mafuko’s own mother was killed by armed attackers when she was only four years old.
Young gorillas rely solely on their mother for care and a statement from the park revealed they can be very vulnerable in areas where poachers operate.
Park rangers have placed special protections in place for the young family to ensure their survival.
Mafuko previously gave birth to twins in 2016, however they sadly died within a week.
The last birth of twin mountain gorillas in the national park was recorded in September 2020.
Park conservationists say the recent births are important towards efforts to protect the species.
Virunga, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site, is being supported by the EU and Unesco with anti-poaching patrols and community programmes.
This has led to the status of the ape species being upgraded from ‘critically endangered’ to ‘endangered’.
Mafuko’s own mother was killed by armed attackers when she was only four years old
Earlier this year, at least 50 hippos and other large animals were killed by anthrax poisoning in the national park.
Virunga Park director Emmanuel De Merode said that buffalo were also killed.
The deaths are a major loss for the park, which has been working to increase the number of hippos in recent decades after poaching and war reduced the population from over 20,000 to a few hundred by 2006.
The park now holds about 1,200 hippos.
Anthrax is a serious disease usually caused by bacteria found naturally in soil.
Wild animals can become infected if they inhale anthrax spores in contaminated soil, plants, or water.