THE birth of twins among humans evokes emotions and passion. The babies are usually given special names and celebrated with certain rituals. The birth of twins among gorillas, too, does not pass as an ordinary event.

For Kweitonda who is part of the Nkuringo group of gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, the way she moves is dictated by her new set of twins.

Unlike most gorillas, she moves on her hind limbs like humans do as she carries two little bundles of life in her arms.

She lags behind as the gorillas traverse the thickets of Nkuringo village, but her female colleagues aware of the weight on her chest, show care as they wait for her.

“It is a rare experience,” said Lillian Nsubuga, the Public Relations Officer at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).

Nsubuga said park authorities observed the twins for the first time on November 2. One of the twins is male while the sex of the other is yet to be confirmed.

The communities around Nkuringo are also excited about the birth of the twins, because this is the second occurrence among the Nkuringo gorillas. The first time gorillas gave birth to twins was the Christmas season of 2004. The mother has since been renamed, ‘Maama Christmas.’

Nsubuga said: “This group of gorillas has become a hot cake because many tourists want to pay to have a glimpse at the twins and their mother.”

But Kweitonda many times is so protective and does not allow any of the gorillas to move too close.

The trio live under the watchful eye of Safari, the alpha male who is said to have fathered the twins.
Safari started leading Nkuringo group after the demise of Nkuringo early this year due to old age. Animal experts said Nkuringo had become too weak to father any babies.

Although the twins are in good state, a veterinary doctor still has to assess them.

Nsubuga said the gorillas have already gone through the harsh November rains.

The March-May rains, according to experts, will find the babies strong enough to withstand the chilly conditions.

Bwindi has 340 Mountain gorillas, which is half the number of the remaining population globally. The rest of the gorillas roam the Virungas that straddles parts of Uganda (Mgahinga), Rwanda and the DR Congo.

Four groups of gorillas have been habituated for tourism in Bwindi. Nkuringo was the fourth group to be opened to tourism in 2004.

Habituation is a process through which gorillas become used to human presence without losing their wild character.