Rare joy for gorillas: first images of newborn twins

The first set of twin gorillas born in

Twins

Twins

Image by Nick Radford

Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas, Central Africa for at least sixteen years, has been recorded by WWF. These healthy western lowland gorilla babies were born to mother Malu and father, Makumba who is the resident silverback, increasing the family group to six members. 

The Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas (DSPA) is co-managed by WWF and the Central African government. WWF through its Primate Habituation Programme habituates gorillas for tourism and research.

Cath Lawson, WWF-UK’s Programme Lead for Mountain Gorillas comments,

“Like the closely related mountain gorilla, western lowland gorillas are critically endangered. These twins are a great sign of hope for the species and testimony to the commitment of those working in Dzanga Sangha. Multiple sets of twins have been recorded for eastern gorillas but it appears to be a rare occurrence for western gorillas.” 

Apart from being the major source of employment to the local people the programme plays a vital role in DSPA’s management strategy by generating significant revenue and strengthening the vital link with the community. The project employs over 80 eco-guards for continuous surveillance of the area and actively supports the sustainable use of natural resources.

David Greer, WWF African Great Apes Programme Leader comments, "These are the first twins ever recorded in Dzanga Sangha and their birth is an incredible moment for everyone who has worked so hard to habituate and conserve these gorillas over the past 16 years. These tiny twins are a sign of success in Dzanga Sangha but gorillas continue to face serious threats across Central Africa and their futures are far from secure, which is why WWF is working with governments and partners throughout the region to protect them and their forest habitat."

The western lowland gorilla, a sub-species of the western gorilla, is the most numerous and widespread of all gorilla subspecies. Populations can be found in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Equatorial Guinea as well as in large areas in Gabon and the Republic of Congo. The exact number of western lowland gorillas is not known because they inhabit some of the most dense and remote rainforests in Africa. 

Western lowland gorillas are threatened by: hunting, for use as food and pets and of their body parts in medicine and as magical charms; habitat loss and degradation, particularly for the timber trade; and diseases, including Ebola.  

The impact of hunting on this sub-species of gorilla has proven to be dramatic. In North East Congo, it has been estimated that approximately 5% of gorillas are killed by hunters each year. 

Sadly, all species of gorillas are under threat from disease and unprecedented levels of habitat destruction across the continent. Years of civil unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have further impacted the eastern species of gorilla and it’s now thought these gorillas only occupy approximately 13% of their historical range.

The mountain gorilla, which is a sub-species of the eastern gorilla species, is critically endangered with only around 880 mountain gorillas in the wild, living in just two isolated populations in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, and the Virunga Volcanoes which span the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo.

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