Overview
- The twins were born on January 3, 2026 to the female Mafuko in Virunga National Park’s Bageni family.
- Park staff reported the infants appeared healthy at the time of observation, and the birth was later confirmed publicly on January 7.
- Virunga authorities have implemented additional monitoring and protection measures to support the early survival of the pair.
- The Bageni group now numbers 59 individuals, the largest family in the park, according to the announcement.
- Twin births in mountain gorillas occur in fewer than one percent of cases; the endangered species counts just over 1,000 individuals globally, with 350 recorded in Virunga in 2021.