Archive · 8 Jan 2026
Twin Mountain Gorillas Born in Virunga Park
In a special event, a mother gorilla named Mafuko had twin baby gorillas in a big park called Virunga in Africa.
This is very rare because only about 1% of gorilla births are twins.
The park is home to many gorillas, but it's also in danger from people who hunt animals and cut down trees.
The park workers are taking extra care of the twins because they need a lot of help from their mom.
This is good news because there aren't many mountain gorillas left, and this helps them grow in number.
Twin male mountain gorillas born to 22-year-old Mafuko in Virunga National Park, DRC.
Twin births are extremely rare, accounting for only 1% of all mountain gorilla births.
Park authorities have implemented additional monitoring and protection measures for the twins.
Virunga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to one of the world's largest populations of mountain gorillas.
Mafuko has given birth to a total of seven newborns, including a previous set of twins that passed away a week after birth.
- Who
- Mafuko, a 22-year-old mountain gorilla in the Bageni family
- What
- Birth of twin male mountain gorillas
- When
- January 3
- Where
- Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo
- Why
- Rare conservation milestone for endangered mountain gorillas
- Location
- Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo
- Mother's Name
- Mafuko
- Birth Date
- January 3
- Gorilla Family
- Bageni
- Park Status
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Park Area
- 3,000 square miles
- Twin Birth Rate
- 1% of all births
- Last Twin Birth in Virunga
- 2020