A rare and heartwarming event has occurred in Virunga National Park, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Mafuko, a 22-year-old mountain gorilla, has given birth to twins. Both mother and babies are healthy, park officials reported. Twin births are extremely rare among mountain gorillas, making up only about 1% of all births.
Mafuko’s life has been full of challenges. She lost her mother to armed attackers when she was just four years old and later joined the Bageni gorilla family at age ten. She has given birth five times, but her previous set of twins in 2016 sadly did not survive. This time, park rangers are keeping a close watch on her and her newborns, offering extra protection against poachers and other dangers.
Mountain gorillas have a pregnancy of about eight and a half months, and females usually have one baby every four years. The birth of these twins is a big boost for conservation. Thanks to anti-poaching patrols and community programs, supported by the European Union and UNESCO, mountain gorilla numbers in Virunga have slowly increased over the past decade.
Virunga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, covers 7,800 square kilometers and includes volcanoes, lakes, rainforest, and mountains. Mountain gorillas are found only here and in a few parks in Rwanda and Uganda. Their population has grown enough that the IUCN upgraded their status from “critically endangered” to “endangered” in 2018.
Mafuko’s twins bring hope for the future of this iconic species. Rangers will continue to monitor the family during these early months to make sure the babies stay safe and healthy.
