Fossey Fund field staff were delighted to see a newborn in one of the mountain gorilla groups we monitor in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, especially since this was the second newborn observed so far this month!
Mother Ukuri is 22 years old and has a complex history of transfers among groups. She was born in Pablo’s group in 1993, then transferred to another group which then split into two groups. She stayed in that group for 13 years and had two infants (who are still in that group).
But in 2014, she transferred to two more groups, the last one dispersing when the silverback (Ugenda) died in April 2015. Then, in May 2015, she joined Mafunzo’s group and has been there since. Mafunzo is the only adult male in this group, so he is surely the father!
Photo by Veronica Vecellio