National Parks in Democratic Republic of Congo : National Parks in DR Congo. The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the African’s countries holding a vast number of tourism resource. much as the tourism industry is been disturbed by the political instabilities but nonetheless the country still stands among the top tourism destinations in Africa due to its diverse ecosystem and exceptional rich culture which attracts many tourists all over the world. The Democratic Republic of Congo is located in the central Africa bordering countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, the republic of Congo, Zambia Sudan and Angola. The Democratic Republic of Congo is the African’s second largest and the central African larges country covering an area of approximately 2.3 million square kilometer (about 900,000 sq mi). The country is one of the most ecological significant and the most reserve on the plant holding a vast savannah, grasslands, tropical rainforests and woodlands which offer a great vast habitant for some of the critically endangered species on the planet. The Democratic Republic of Congo los known for hosting the largest Africans tropical rainforest.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the only country on the planet inhabiting both the mountain gorillas, eastern lowland gorillas as well as the western lowland gorillas, and Virunga national park has the biggest number of fascinating mammals, primates, birds, reptile in Africa. The park is most famous for its mountain gorilla and it is holding third go the remaining mountain gorillas in the wild.  The country is also a home to ma larges number of northern rhinos found in the Garamba national park. More interesting about the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the country is a home to two active volcanoes and dormant volcanoes residing in the in the eastern part of the country which one is known for its largest African boiling lava lake.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has over 10 national parks but due numerous humanitarian challenges, including displacement of populations due to conflict, outbreaks of diseases such as Ebola and cholera, and food insecurity. The ongoing conflicts in the eastern part of the country have resulted in the displacement of millions of people.

This flog provides you with the list of some of the national parks found in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Virunga National Park

Virunga National Park is a UNSECO World Heritage Site and was gazetted in 1925 to protect the unique flora and fauna including the worlds prized mountain gorillas. The park is located in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo and is one of the oldest national park in Africa covering an area of approximately 7800 square kilometers with amazing wildlife and physical features like volcanoes, vegetation cover, crater lakes, streams and rivers which flow within the dense tropical rainforests. The park is also home to two active volcanoes such as Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira, the rare okapi, forest buffaloes, African elephants, spotted hyenas, jackals and birds. Virunga national park was part of the greater Virunga conservation area which included Uganda and Rwanda. The area was split and divided amongst the three countries forming the Volcanoes National Park Rwanda and Mgahinga National Park in Uganda among other wildlife sanctuaries. Congo remained with Virunga national park.

The Virunga National Park is one of the remaining destinations in the planet where travelers can go for gorilla trekking. Gorilla trekking is considered one of the most exciting wildlife activities in the world. Virunga National Park stands out from other national parks because it is the only gorilla park where one can also visit a gorilla orphanage. The Senkwekwe Center was set up by the Virunga Foundation to take care of young gorillas who lost their parents due to poaching or where rescued from animal traffickers. The park is also home to over 176 mammals, 108 reptile species, 67 amphibians and 702 bird species as well as a home to indigenous native tribes such as Batwa, Bambuti, Hutu, and the Tutsi all have a fascinating and unique cultures. the park offers a lot of activities to visitors such as gorilla trekking, birding, volcano hiking, wildlife viewing, forest walks , cultural encounters among others

Kahuzi-Biega National Park

Kahuzi-Biega National Park is one of the most visited national parks in Democratic Republic of Congo. The park is located in the eastern part of the country between two volcanic mountains such as Kahuzi and Biega in the province of Bukavu and it drive its name from them. Kahuzi Biega National Park is the one of the natural homes of the eastern lowland gorilla (Grauer’s gorillas) and the only protected area where these species can be trekked by tourists. The park was declared a UNESCO World heritage site because of its unique biodiversity and for being one of the remaining places of the biggest gorilla species on earth. However, the number of eastern lowland gorillas in the park is decreasing due to diseases, civil wars and poaching.  Apart from eastern lowland gorillas, tourists have a lot to see and do while in Kahuzi Biega National Park for example birding, viewing waterfalls, small primate viewing, climbing the two volcanic mountains of Kahuzi and Biega. The park is home to primates like the red tailed monkey, vervet monkeys, chimpanzees, olive baboons, and black and white colobus. Kahuzi Biega National Park has over 300 species of mammals including forest elephants, bongo antelopes, bush buffaloes and bush squirrels among others.

National Parks in Democratic Republic of Congo
Gorilla trekking in Congo

Garamba National Park

Garumba National Park was gazetted in 1938, making it one of the oldest protected areas in Africa covering an area of about 5,200 square kilometers, and is now UNSECO World’ Heritage Sites. It is located in the northeastern part of Congo, at the border of South Sudan. The park is part of the Sudano- Guinean savanna zone one of the most amazing ecological zones on the world. Garamba National Park is home to most of Africa’s fame mammals including lions, antelopes, giraffes, elephants, hippos, hyenas and over 286 bird species. This amazing park has so much to offer tourists but its development and tourism potential has been disrupted by civil wars, poachers and rebel groups operating in the park.

 Salonga National Park

Salongo national park was formally known as Tshuapa national park, Salonga National Park located in the Congo River Basin is the biggest tropical rainforests reserve in Africa covering approximately 36,000 square kilometers situated between Kinshasa and Kisangani. The park was established in 1956 and is UNSECO World’s Heritage Site due to its remarkable fauna and hosting one of the biggest rainforest in the planet. The park is a home to a larger leopards, African elephants, bonobos and Congo peafowl. Other bird species include egrets, yellow billed stork, forest owls and so much more. Like many of the national parks in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Salonga has not been fully explored and there could still be a lot that we don’t know. Due to continuous encroachments, poaching and other human activities. Even though the civil wars in Congo invaded and almost destroyed some of the unique vegetation and endemic plant species in the forests, the national parks still retain a vastness and uniqueness found nowhere else in the world.

Mangroves National Park

Mangroves National Park is the smallest national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The park is located along the shores of the mighty Congo River covering an area of about 768 square kilometers in size and was gazetted in 1992 and has been declared a Ramsar wetland because of its remarkable biodiversity and vast mangrove forests. Mangroves National Park is the only marine park in the country. The park is home to snakes, crocodiles, hippos, bushbucks, southern reedbuck and several species of primates.

Lomami National Park

Lomami National Park is located in middle of river lkomani and it’s situated in Maniema and Tshopo in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The park was gazetted in 1992 and was officially opened in 2016 making it the newest national park in the country. The park covers an area of about 8,879 square kilometers ranking among the largest national parks in the country. The park encompasses of several small hills and savanna forest. Though the park is not yet explored and visited by many tourists, the park is home to African forest elephants, bonobos, okapi, Congo peacocks, grey parrots, Salonga monkeys, lesula monkeys and it’s only found in the park, the rare dryas monkey and other smaller primates

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