Birth of rare mountain gorilla twins recorded in Congo park

A mountain gorilla has given birth to twins in war-ravaged eastern Congo, a national park said on Wednesday, in what it described as “a major event” for the endangered subspecies.

The birth of the two male gorillas to a mother named Mafuko was discovered on Jan. 3 and the twins “appeared to be in healthy condition at the time of the observation,” Virunga National Park said in a statement.

Spanning more than 3,000 square miles, Africa’s oldest national park is home to many of the world’s last mountain gorillas, yet much of the park is under rebel control and fighting has accelerated forest loss.

Caring for twins can be challenging, “particularly during the early months when infants are entirely dependent on their mother for care and transport,” the park’s statement said.

The newborns are being closely monitored to help ensure their survival, it said.

Pictures released by the park’s press service showed the 22-year-old Mafuko holding the two baby gorillas, sitting on the ground and partly obscured by branches with green leaves.

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Mafuko was born into the Kabirizi family but joined the Bageni family six years after her mother was killed by “armed individuals” in 2007, the park’s statement said.

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“The birth of these twins represents a major event for the dynamics of the Bageni family and for ongoing conservation efforts to support the continued growth of the endangered mountain gorilla population within Virunga National Park,” the statement said.

In total, Mafuko has now had seven offspring, including a set of twins which died a week after being born in 2016. The Bageni family now counts 59 members and is the largest in the park, the statement said.