Most parents find one newborn a handful, but imagine trying to manage two while living in a volcano. Mafuko, a 22 year old mountain gorilla in Virunga National Park, just did exactly that. She gave birth to a pair of twin boys, which is about as common as finding a quiet carriage on a train. Only about one percent of gorilla births result in twins, making this a massive win for a species that is currently clinging to survival.
Virunga is Africa’s oldest national park, and it is a bit of a rough neighbourhood. Between the active volcanoes and the armed groups wandering about, raising kids here is no walk in the park. Mafuko herself had twins back in 2016, but they sadly didn’t make it past the first week. This time, the park rangers are taking no chances. They have put extra guards on the door to make sure these two little bruisers get a fair shot at life.
The Gorilla Growth Chart
While we might complain about a nine month pregnancy, gorillas do nearly the same stint at eight and a half months. The difference is they usually only pop out one baby every four years. Mafuko is clearly an overachiever, as this is her fifth time around.
| Fact File | Details |
| Species Status | Endangered (Upgraded from Critically Endangered). |
| Global Population | Fewer than 1,100 left in the wild. |
| Twin Rarity | Occurs in roughly 1% of births. |
| Location | Virunga National Park, DR Congo. |
Why This is a Big Deal
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature keeps a “Red List” of animals that are doing a bit poorly. Thanks to people actually trying for once, the mountain gorilla was moved from “critically endangered” to just “endangered” in 2018. It is still not great, but it is better than the alternative. These new twins are a literal double boost to the numbers.
Community trackers found Mafuko hugging her new arrivals on a Saturday morning. She seems to be a natural at the whole single mum act, despite losing her own mother to attackers when she was just four. It is a nice bit of news for a change, proving that even in conflict zones, nature finds a way to keep things interesting.
We can only hope these two boys grow up to be as tough as their mum, though hopefully they won’t have to deal with quite so many volcanoes.
It turns out that sometimes, seeing double is actually a very good sign.
Related topics: Africa
