A new mountain gorilla birth was recorded last Saturday within the Bageni family in Virunga National Park, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). According to an announcement by the park, Ruzuzi gave birth to a baby male, who was spotted by community trackers.

This birth marks the fourth recorded this year within this family, according to the park’s statement released this Thursday. In January, the group notably welcomed twins—a rare occurrence among mountain gorillas.

With this new arrival, the Bageni family now comprises 61 individuals, adds the statement published on their X account. It thus remains the largest known mountain gorilla family in the world, according to Virunga National Park. Park-wide, the number of recorded births since the beginning of the year has now reached 17.

For Timothée Buhashe, a member of the Ecological Brigade at the University of Goma and an environmental activist, these results are also tied to the involvement of local communities in the conservation of endangered species.

According to him, sustaining these achievements depends notably on forest protection and the ability of neighboring communities to benefit from the park’s economic returns. This approach aims to reconcile biodiversity conservation with the socioeconomic needs of populations living near protected areas.

According to Global Forest Watch, a global forest monitoring platform, Virunga National Park lost more than 14,000 hectares of tree cover between 2021 and 2022. This loss is notably linked to charcoal production, timber exploitation, and insecurity surrounding armed conflicts.

Written by Victoire Katembo Mbuto