The Wildlife rangers in Virunga National Park have found another rare set of twin mountain gorillas a baby boy and a baby girl.
The twins were born into a group of 19 gorillas known as the Baraka family, which roams the high rainforests of the Virunga National Park in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
This exciting news comes just two months after rangers discovered a set of twin male gorillas born to a female called Mafuko in the Bageni family at the start of this year. Those two little males are now about 11 weeks old and appear to be healthy and strong. Other gorillas in the group have been helping the mother care for them.
Twins are very unusual among mountain gorillas – they make up less than 1% of all births. Looking after two babies is much harder for the mother. In addition, several baby gorillas die young due to sickness, accidents, or attacks. The Virunga Park rangers report that the twins and the mother are in very good health condition. The Virunga Park staff have already started extra monitoring to give the new twins the best chance of survival.
Mountain gorillas are endemic to Africa and live in only two populations; the Virunga Mountains that stretches over Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo and another population in Uganda’s Bwindi Forest.
Jacques Katutu, who leads gorilla monitoring in the park, described the two twin births in three months as an “extraordinary event.” He believes it proves that conservation work is paying off, even while the region faces ongoing instability and conflict. Since April 2024, Goma and Bukavu have been under control of the M23 rebels. With the present security situation, there are reduced patrols to control the park and gorilla tourism is still suspended.
Mountain Gorillas on the Rise
The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is one of the subspecies of the Eastern Gorilla. The mountain gorilla is endemic in Africa and it is protected with four national parks; Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda.
From just 250 individuals in the 1970s, the mountain gorilla population has increased to more than 1,000. In 2018, the IUCN moved the mountain gorillas from the list of Critically Endangered to the Endangered category.
Specialist vets have been key to the gorillas’ recovery. Teams have saved many lives by treating injuries from snares and other human-related problems. One study found that veterinary care accounts for about half of the recent population growth.
Gorilla Tourism has also contributed to the conservation of mountain gorillas by generating the much-needed funds to protect the apes.
For the case of Virunga, a lot of challenged still exist! The work is not easy at all. Gorilla tourism is still suspended. The Virunga has also been one of the most dangerous places for rangers, with over 220 killed in the last 20 years due to the prescience of armed groups and militias in the area.
Despite the challenges, the double twin births are a happy reminder that the efforts to protect these rare and beautiful animals are bringing results.
Photo by Bob Brewer on Unsplash
