A mountain gorilla has given birth to twins in war-ravaged eastern Congo, a national park said on Wednesday, in what it described as “a major event” for the endangered subspecies.

In a statement, Virunga National Park said the birth of the two male gorillas to a mother named Mafuko was discovered on January 3 and the twins “appeared to be in healthy condition at the time of the observation.

Spanning more than 3,000 square miles, Africa’s oldest national park is home to many of the world’s last mountain gorillas, yet much of the park is under rebel control and fighting has accelerated forest loss.

Pictures released by the park’s press service showed the 22-year-old Mafuko holding the two baby gorillas, sitting on the ground and partly obscured by branches with green leaves.

The park’s statement added that Mafuko was born into the Kabirizi family but joined the Bageni family six years after her mother was killed by “armed individuals” in 2007.