Two good things to report about gorillas today.

First, twins were born to a mountain gorilla in Uganda. It’s an extremely rare event and hopefully a good omen (if you believe in that sort of thing).

Secondly Jane Goodall is  lending her voice to gorilla conservation.

“Renowned primatologist Jane Goodall, famous for her work with chimps, called conservationists around the world to raise awareness of the problems faced by gorillas.

“It is time for us to pool all of our resources toward saving these magnificent creatures (and toward) ensuring a future for this close cousin of humankind,” she said.

The last decade has seen a steep drop, from 17,000 to 5,000 gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo, while Mountain Gorillas in the Great Lakes region number only 700, UNEP said. The main threats include hunting for “bushmeat,” a prized delicacy in western Africa, as well as logging, slash-and-burn agriculture and armed conflict, notably in DR Congo.

The UNEP is holding conference on the plight of endangered migratory species to coincide with a forum in Poland of the UN climate change convention”.