Rare twins born in DRC is hope for endangered mountain gorillas

Rare twins born in DRC is hope for endangered mountain gorillas in Virunga gorilla national park in Virunga ranges

Mother Mafuko takes good care of her offspring, but the first few weeks are crucial due to high infant mortality, according to a Virunga park ranger.

When Jacques Katutu first saw the baby mountain gorillas, it was midday. In the forest clearing of Virunga National Park in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the small twins were cradled in their mother Mafuko’s arms and clung to her body for warmth.

In his 15 years as a ranger, Katutu, who leads Virunga gorilla surveillance, has witnessed scores of infants. However, he tells the Guardian that even he was moved by the sight of the frail baby males, who must overcome significant challenges if they are to grow up to be silverbacks.

Given the twins’ extraordinary frailty, he writes, “watching Mafuko hold two babies was both moving and filled me with responsibility.”

Mountain gorilla twin births are exceedingly uncommon and pose serious survival issues.

Mountain gorillas seldom give birth to twins, and doing so always poses serious life risks.

We remain hopeful while being watchful and careful. The most crucial period is the first four weeks.

Since their discovery on January 3rd, the mother and her young have been under daily observation, and if the gorillas exhibit any symptoms of discomfort, professional veterinarians are available.

According to rangers, the young males are currently healthy, but the subspecies has a high newborn mortality rate, with roughly 25% of them dying from illness, trauma, or infanticide.

In 2016, Mafuko gave birth to twins, neither of whom lived for more than a few days.

The guys were born into the Bageni family, which currently has 59 members and is the largest group of mountain gorillas in Virunga.

Even though the rangers are cautious, their arrival marks a significant milestone in one of the century’s biggest conservation success stories.

The twin mountain gorillas

The subspecies’ populations have increased to about 1,000 from just 250 as they were on the verge of extinction in the 1970s. In the 1970s, there were only about 250 mountain gorillas remaining, divided between two remote areas in southwest Uganda and the Virunga mountain range. Many believed that the animals were in danger of going extinct.

The gorilla subspecies was demoted from critically endangered to endangered by conservation authorities after decades of intensive conservation efforts resulted in population levels exceeding 1,000 in 2018.

However, for wildlife rangers, the DRC portion of the Virunga mountain range continues to rank among the most hazardous locations worldwide. In the park, where robbers and rebel organizations like M23 and other militias operate with impunity, over 220 rangers have been killed in the last 20 years.

Conservationists claim that Mafuko is an example of the species’ tenacity. Despite having multiple children, including the most recent babies, her mother was murdered by an assailant when she was four years old.

Mafuko is a mother with a lot of experience. She is aware of their requirements while carrying twin babies.

While the situation is still fragile, this is hopeful,” Katutu says.

“We are keeping a tight eye on the mother, the twins, and the newborns’ general health as well as her breastfeeding. The goal is to minimize intervention and let her take care of her infants naturally.

The resurgence of the species has been largely attributed to specialized veterinarian care. Organizations like the Gorilla Doctors have helped animals impacted by human behavior in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo by rescuing gorillas that were inadvertently trapped in poachers’ traps, thereby preventing scores of fatalities. According to one study, the veterinarians are responsible for 50% of the mountain gorilla population growth.

According to Katutu, neither baby will be given a name until their survival appears more certain. However, the indicators are encouraging for the time being.

According to first observations, they are composed and have positive interactions with their mother. Although they are still quite vulnerable, their behavior is typical of healthy babies, he claims.

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