A pair of cute rare mountain gorillas born in Africa's oldest national park

This primate species is considered endangered, writes the BBC.

The newborn twins were discovered by rangers responsible for monitoring the living conditions and health status of the mountain gorillas.

They saw a 22-year-old gorilla named Mafuka embracing her babies (both males). A preliminary check showed that the whole family was doing well.

It is believed that the birth of twins in mountain gorillas occurs in only about 1% of cases.

Gorilla gestation lasts about eight and a half months, and females usually give birth to one infant every four years.

The last case of mountain gorilla twins being born in Virunga National Park was recorded in September 2020.

Mafuka herself had previously given birth to twins in 2016, but both infants died within a week.

Gorilla infants are completely dependent on their mother – both for care and movement – and are extremely vulnerable in a dangerous environment where poachers and numerous armed groups operate. The further fate of Mafuka's little ones causes concern: a significant part of Africa's oldest national park is under the control of rebels, and hostilities have accelerated the process of forest reduction.

The national park management announced that additional monitoring and protection measures have been introduced to ensure the survival of the twins during this critical period. Rangers will closely monitor the young family and provide assistance if necessary.

According to Virunga staff, Mafuka herself has an extraordinary survival story. She was born in 2003 into the Kabirizi family and lost her mother at the age of four, who was killed by armed militants.

At ten years old, Mafuka joined the Bagheni family and has since given birth five times. As zoologists note, her latest offspring are a significant boost to efforts to conserve this endangered species.

Virunga Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was established 100 years ago specifically to protect mountain gorillas, whose wild population today numbers just over a thousand individuals.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which keeps records of endangered species, these primates are found today only in Virunga, as well as in the national parks of Rwanda and Uganda.

Thanks to programs working with local communities, implemented with the support of the European Union and UNESCO, the number of mountain gorillas in Virunga has gradually increased over the past decade.

As a result, in 2018, the status of this species was changed from "critically endangered" to "endangered."

Virunga Park covers an area of about 7,800 square kilometers and is characterized by an impressive diversity of landscapes – from active volcanoes and vast lakes to tropical forests and mountains.

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