Virunga National Park: Mapuwa mountain gorilla family welcomes newborn, the 19th birth recorded in 2026

Community trackers in Virunga National Park observed a newborn in the Mapuwa mountain gorilla family, born to Kagofero; the infant’s sex has not yet been determined. It is the family’s second birth in 2026, bringing its membership to 28 and making it the third-largest mountain gorilla family monitored in the park. The birth brings the number recorded among the park’s mountain gorilla population this year to 19. Although armed clashes in eastern DR Congo disrupt conservation work, ICCN teams continue patrols and gorilla monitoring with the involvement of nearby communities.