A rare double arrival has been recorded in one of the world's most dangerous places to be a gorilla. Virunga National Park in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo says a 22-year-old mountain gorilla named Mafuko has given birth to twin males, discovered on Saturday. Staffers report both juveniles appeared healthy during their initial check, per Reuters. The park, Africa's oldest and spanning more than 3,000 square miles, is a stronghold for the endangered mountain gorilla, but large areas are under the control of armed groups, and deforestation has been rising amid the fighting.
Park staff note that raising twins is especially demanding for a gorilla mother, particularly in the first months when babies rely entirely on her for food and getting around. The newborns are now under close observation as employees track their development and Mafuko's health. Photos and video released by the park show her cradling her two babies while seated on the forest floor, partly hidden by leaves.
"Twin gorillas are so rare that your first reaction is disbelief," says Laura Parker, the park's conservation chief, per BBC Wildlife. "The second emotion that followed was a mix of excitement and concern. Excitement because again, it's a rare event, and concern because you immediately understand the biological odds involved." Mafuko's own history reflects the instability around Virunga. The park notes she was born into the Kabirizi family, then joined the Bageni family six years after her mother was killed by armed assailants in 2007, per Reuters.
Mafuko has now given birth to seven offspring in total, including another set of twins that died a week after their arrival in 2016. Virunga describes the latest twin birth as an important moment for both the Bageni family and broader conservation efforts. With the new arrivals, the Bageni group now numbers 59 gorillas, making it the park's largest gorilla family as researchers work to grow and protect the remaining mountain gorilla population.
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