Virunga National Park: New Mountain Gorilla Born into the Bageni Family, Bringing Its Population to 61

Virunga National Park announced that Ruzuzi gave birth to a male mountain gorilla on October 17 in the Bageni family. It is the group’s fourth birth this year, bringing its population to 61, and the 17th birth recorded in the park in 2026. The family, the largest mountain gorilla group monitored in the park, also had the rare birth of twins in January. Despite insecurity in the Mikeno sector, conservation teams continue monitoring and protecting the gorillas, with support from the European Union, UNESCO, and participants in the park’s gorilla adoption program.