Wild Mountain Gorilla Births Twins In Rare Event At National Park

A mountain gorilla has delivered twins in a national park located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The delightful announcement was made by Virunga National Park in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

The park described the event as “both rare and extraordinary” and noted that the twins were born “within the Bageni family on January 3, 2026, as observed by our diligent community trackers.”

“Additional surveillance and protective efforts have been implemented to ensure the twins’ well-being during these crucial initial stages,” they mentioned.

A photograph accompanying the announcement depicted their mother, the adult female Mafuko, tenderly holding the twins, who were confirmed as two males in a press release issued by Virunga National Park.

“Both were healthy during the observation,” added the release.

This birth, marking the first of 2026, increases the number of the Bageni family to 59 individuals, making it the largest group in the park.

“Twin births among mountain gorillas are uncommon and pose additional hurdles, especially in the early months when infants are completely reliant on their mother for care and movement,” the release pointed out.

“Following the birth, augmented monitoring and protection strategies will be employed to closely watch over the twins, supporting their health and survival during this crucial phase.”

Born on May 23, 2003, Mafuko is originally from the Kabirizi family. After the death of her mother in 2007 and due to a family split in 2013, Mafuko became part of the Bageni family.

At 22, Mafuko has given birth seven times, including a previous set of twins in 2016, who tragically passed away a week later.

According to the park, the birth of Mafuko’s recent twins “signals an important development in the dynamics of the Bageni group and serves as a beacon for conservation actions aimed at bolstering the number of the endangered mountain gorilla species within Virunga National Park.”

"The ongoing protection and preservation of mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park are achieved with the assistance of the European Union and UNESCO," they noted.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) categorises mountain gorillas as "endangered," with their population exceeding 1,000.

As per WWF, the majority of mountain gorillas dwell in the Virunga Mountains, a chain of dormant volcanoes straddling the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda in Africa.