Endangered mountain gorilla gives birth to rare twins in Congo: "Major event"
Updated on: January 9, 2026 / 7:04 AM EST / CBS/AFP
TL;DR
- An endangered mountain gorilla in Virunga National Park, DRC, gave birth to twins, both male.
- Twins are a rare outcome in mountain gorilla pregnancies, with only one other recorded case in the DRC in 2020.
- The mother, Mafuko, is part of the Bageni family, which now has 59 members, the largest in the reserve.
- Mafuko previously had twins in 2016 that did not survive.
- Virunga National Park, established in 1925, is Africa's oldest nature reserve and is threatened by militia groups like M23 and the Allied Democratic Forces.
- Conservation efforts are in place to protect the twins and increase their chances of survival.
- There are an estimated 1,000 mountain gorillas living in the wild, with 350 residing in Virunga Park in 2021.