Rare Newborn Gorilla Twins Spotted in Rwandan Jungle

With only 700 or so remaining wild mountain gorillas, any bit of good news on the species is great.

The latest bit of good news out of Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park is also accompanied by what is an emblem of good luck in many cultures. The gorilla mother known as Kabatwa gave birth to twins on Feb. 3, 2011, reports The Gorilla Organization, a conservation group, in a release on its website.

The twin baby boys are only the fifth pair of twins ever recorded in Rwanda's mountain gorillas, the Organizations said. The last mountain gorilla twins, born in 2004, were named Byishimo and Impano by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, at a gorilla naming ceremony in 2005, acc.

"Gorilla mothers usually have only one baby every four years or so - which is one reason why they are so vulnerable - so twins give a rare double gain in one birth. But coping with two demanding infants is a challenge for any parent (as my wife and I know from experience!) so I wish Kabatwa (and the boys) the best of luck in the coming weeks and months. What a fantastic start to the UN International Year of the Forests - two new gardeners of the forest in Rwanda." said Ian Redmond, Chairman of the Ape Alliance and father of twin boys, in the release.

Last year a census revealed that the population of endangered mountain gorillas has increased significantly in the last 30 years, BBC reports.

Many gorilla conservation initiatives are meant to aid mountain gorillas specifically, as they are among the most endangered species. While their numbers are increasing, they continue to face major threats from habitat loss and poaching.

National Geographic describes mountain gorillas as follows:

"Mountain Gorillas have longer hair and shorter arms than their lowland cousins. They also tend to be a bit larger than other gorillas. These gorillas live on the green, volcanic slopes of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo--areas that have seen much human violence from which the gorillas have not escaped unscathed. They eat roots, shoots, fruit, wild celery, and tree bark and pulp. Female gorillas normally give birth to one infant after a pregnancy of nearly nine months. Unlike their powerful parents, newborns are tiny--weighing four pounds--and able only to cling to their mothers' fur. These infants ride on their mothers' backs from the age of four months through the first two or three years of their lives. In captivity, gorillas have displayed significant intelligence and have even learned simple human sign language."