A mountain gorilla has given birth to twins in war-ravaged eastern Congo, a national park said on Wednesday, in what it described as \u201ca major event\u201d for the endangered subspecies.<\/p>\n
The birth of the two male gorillas to a mother named Mafuko was discovered on January 3 and the twins \u201cappeared to be in healthy condition at the time of the observation,\u201d Virunga National Park said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Spanning more than 3,000 square miles, Africa\u2019s oldest national park is home to many of the world\u2019s last mountain gorillas, yet much of the park is under rebel control and fighting has accelerated forest loss.<\/p>\n
Caring for twins can be challenging, \u201cparticularly during the early months when infants are entirely dependent on their mother for care and transport,\u201d the park\u2019s statement said.<\/p>\n
The newborns are being closely monitored to help ensure their survival, it said.<\/p>\n
Pictures released by the park\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Mafuko was born into the Kabirizi family but joined the Bageni family six years after her mother was killed by \u201carmed individuals\u201d in 2007, the park\u2019s statement said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 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,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n