In a heartening development for wildlife conservation, two rare mountain gorilla twins have been born in Virunga National Park in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, offering a hopeful sign for one of Earth's most endangered great apes.
As The Guardian reported, the twin males were discovered on January 3 clinging to their mother, Mafuko, a 22-year-old gorilla who also gave birth to twins in 2016, although they sadly died a few days later. Rangers and community trackers monitoring the park's critically important gorilla populations reported that both infants appeared to be healthy.
Twin births are exceptionally rare among mountain gorillas — occurring in less than 1% of pregnancies — because the species' biology is optimized for raising a single, highly dependent infant at a time. That makes this birth especially remarkable, and a significant boost for conservationists who have worked for decades to help the species recover from the brink of extinction.
The twins are part of the Bageni gorilla family, now the largest group in Virunga with 59 members. This growth reflects years of sustained conservation efforts, including year-round monitoring by trackers, anti-poaching patrols, and care provided by wildlife veterinarians — all of which contribute to rising mountain gorilla numbers across their range in the DRC, Rwanda, and Uganda.
Despite ongoing challenges — including habitat threats and regional instability — the species' population has risen from just a few hundred in the 1970s to more than 1,000 individuals today, a testament to decades of dedicated protection efforts that have helped lift mountain gorillas from "critically endangered" to simply "endangered."
Conservationists are now watching the twins closely. The first weeks of life are critical, but with daily monitoring and protection in place, there's cautious optimism that these young gorillas will survive and thrive.
Their arrival serves as a powerful reminder that nature can flourish when humans act with care and commitment, and gives renewed hope to those striving to protect the future of these iconic animals.
"Mafuko is an experienced mother," Jacques Katutu, head of gorilla monitoring in Virunga, told The Guardian. "She is carrying both babies and is attentive to their needs. This is encouraging, although the situation remains delicate."
"We are closely monitoring the twins and mother — observing her breastfeeding and the overall health of the newborns," he added. "Allowing her to care for her babies naturally and minimising intervention is the priority."
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