Endangered Mountain Gorilla Welcomes First Baby in Virunga National Park
Ndala, a 12-year-old gorilla, has given birth to her first infant, marking a hopeful sign for the species.
Ndala, an endangered mountain gorilla, has given birth to her first baby at the age of 12. The new mother was observed with her infant son on October 6 within Virunga National Park, located in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
This birth is the second recorded within the Humba family group this year and contributes to the 16 births documented among gorillas monitored in the Mikeno sector since January. Photographs capture Ndala tenderly holding her sleeping newborn.
In another image, Ndala is seen calmly chewing on a bamboo stalk while keeping her infant close.
The Humba group now comprises 19 individuals, including one silverback, one blackback, five adult females, three subadults, and nine juveniles and infants. The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies mountain gorillas as endangered, with an estimated 1,075 remaining in the wild.
Field teams are continuing to monitor Ndala and her infant closely during the crucial initial weeks of the newborn's life.