Twin kangaroos

Salt and Pepper, a pair of newborn non identical twin kangaroos born in Australia, are being cared for by a zoo. According to a zoologist, the twin joeys were a "one in a million" birth. He said: "It's rare enough that twin joeys are born, and to have one of those an albino is very uncommon".

Rare gorilla twins born in wild

Wednesday, 9 February 2011

Twin mountain gorillas have been born in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.

The babies born on 3 February 2011 are only the fifth set of twins ever recorded in the history of Rwanda's mountain gorillas.

The last reported birth of mountain gorilla twins was in 2004, according to conservation group The Gorilla Organization.

Fewer than 800 mountain gorillas are thought to remain in the wild, though numbers are thought to be increasing.

"It is very rare to hear of mountain gorilla twins, so we were all excited to hear the news from rangers yesterday," says Emmanuel Bugingo, Programme Manager in Rwanda for The Gorilla Organization, which has staff in London, UK and Africa.

Double gain

The twins are both boys.

"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," adds Says Ian Redmond, Chairman of the Ape Alliance, an international coalition of organisations and individuals that works for the conservation and welfare of apes.

The mother, known fondly to rangers as Kabatwa, belongs to the Hirwa group of gorillas.

The last mountain gorilla twins, born in 2004, were named Byishimo and Impano by the President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, at a gorilla naming ceremony in 2005.

Mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) are a subspecies of the Eastern gorilla.

The Eastern Lowland Gorilla (G. b. graueri) is the other subspecies, and is the most populous, at about 5,000 individuals.

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

A survey carried out in the Virunga Massif - where most of the world's mountain gorillas live - revealed 480 individuals living in 36 groups.

Conservationists say that, 30 years ago, only 250 gorillas survived in this same area.

Along with the 302 mountain gorillas from a census in Bwindi in 2006, the world population is now more than 780.

The Virunga Massif includes three contiguous national parks: Parc National des Virunga in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda.
The only other location where mountain gorillas exist is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda, and scientists are considering elevating the few hundred remaining Bwindi gorillas to the rank of subspecies.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9391000/9391967.stm
(Submitted by Dawn Holloway)

See also: http://news.uk.msn.com/environment/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=156089219

Twin gorillas born in Congo

Gorilla family group now 30 strong

December 2010: Twin gorillas have been born at Kahuzi Beiga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).


They join the Chiminuka group - and are the fourth pair of twins born into the family.

There are fewer than 5,000 eastern lowland gorillas remaining in the wild and Kahuzi Biega National Park, on the eastern edge of DRC, is home to one of the largest populations.

Kahuzi Beiga ranger Tuver said: ‘The birth of the twins brings the number of gorillas in Chiminuka's family to a grand total of 30, which is wonderful.

No one has yet managed to photograph the newborn twins so here is a photo of the magnificent Chiminuka - the proud father.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/gorilla-twins.html

Twin gorillas born in Congo

Gorilla family group now 30 strong

December 2010: Twin gorillas have been born at Kahuzi Beiga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).


They join the Chiminuka group - and are the fourth pair of twins born into the family.

There are fewer than 5,000 eastern lowland gorillas remaining in the wild and Kahuzi Biega National Park, on the eastern edge of DRC, is home to one of the largest populations.

Kahuzi Beiga ranger Tuver said: ‘The birth of the twins brings the number of gorillas in Chiminuka's family to a grand total of 30, which is wonderful.

No one has yet managed to photograph the newborn twins so here is a photo of the magnificent Chiminuka - the proud father.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/gorilla-twins.html