Trackers in Virunga National Park made the discovery on Saturday. In the dense foliage, 22-year-old Mafuko sat slumped, embracing two newborns. Both cubs appeared to be doing well, according to a statement from the park.
Twin births are rare among gorillas. Over the years, only a few have been recorded, and in many cases, one or both twins have only survived for a short period.
Young gorillas are completely dependent on their mothers and extremely vulnerable in an environment with poachers and armed groups. The newborns are now being closely monitored, the park said.
Africa's oldest national park, Virunga, covers almost 8,000 square kilometers and is home to many of the world's last mountain gorillas. Much of the area lies in conflict-affected and rebel-controlled areas, and the fighting has accelerated deforestation.
Today, fewer than 1,100 mountain gorillas are estimated to live in the wild.
The mountain gorilla is one of the closest relatives of humans and the largest living great ape. It lives in a small area of lush forests in the countries of Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda.
Many males can weigh 160–180 kilograms – some much more – and can grow to 180 cm tall. Females are smaller – often reaching around 150 cm tall – and weigh about half as much as males. Mountain gorillas are herbivores and eat only plants.
In 2019, there were 1,063 wild mountain gorillas and the species is classified as critically endangered.
Gorillas live in family groups that stay together for many years. The groups consist of about 10 individuals and each group has a territory that is 5–30 square kilometers in size.
Mountain gorillas live a peaceful family life in the forest and prefer to avoid conflicts with humans.
Source: WWF
