As anyone who has ever spent time with gorillas will tell you, it is an experience that defies words and borders on sacred. The name Virunga (Volcanoes), probably of Swahili derivation, has prevailed over the earlier Mufumbiro (That Which Cooks), which is still used in Uganda. [13], In the early 1920s, several proponents of the European conservation movement championed the idea of creating a protected area in northeastern Belgian Congo, among them Victor van Straelen, Jean Massart and Jean-Marie Derscheid. In Virungas southern sector around Bukima, there are currently ten habituated gorilla families and four solitary males which are also habituated, meaning that they are unafraid of human presence. [56], Of the Albertine Rift's endemic birds, Rwenzori turaco, Rwenzori batis, Archer's ground robin, red-throated alethe, Kivu ground thrush, collared apalis, mountain masked apalis, dusky crimson-wing, Shelley's crimsonwing, red-faced woodland warbler, stripe-breasted tit, blue-headed sunbird, regal sunbird, Rwenzori double-collared sunbird, handsome spurfowl and strange weaver were recorded in Virunga National Park's southern sector during surveys in 2004. African fish eagles are birds of prey that live in the waterways of sub-Saharan Africa. Park officials are in the process of habituating the chimpanzees, and accompanying the habituation teams is another of the activities on offer in the park. [26] In altitude, this sector ranges from 680m (2,230ft) in the Puemba River valley to the highest peak of Mount Stanley at 5,109m (16,762ft) within 30km (19mi). As might be expected in a park that encompasses such a large variety of habitats, the birding can be described as extraordinary. Flora/Vegatation in Virunga national park - Gorilla Safari Tours Furthermore, a substantial number of these are Albertine Rift and Congolese endemics. The Virunga mountains are the most hike in DR Congo and they include Mount Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira which are active volcanoes, and lastly Mount Mikeno which is a dormant volcano. About Virunga National Park | Facts, History & Conservation Virunga National Park is a national park in the Albertine Rift Valley in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.It was created in 1925. Visitors who brave the climb to the summit of Mt. Focussing on three key areas: hydropower, sustainable agriculture and fisheries, and tourism, Virunga National Park is working to economically transform the region creating jobs and reducing poverty rates. Adult African fish eagles have mostly brown bodies with a white head and yellow face and large, powerful, black wings. Not more than 20,000 years ago Nyiragongo and Nyamulagira emerged at the western end of the chain, both with extensive craters. This variation is determined by a number of factors such as the soil type, soil depth, animals and invertebrates in the area, and minerals within the soil. Virunga mountains in DR Congo Today, they are probably the parks most famous residents. The great blue turaco is the largest member of the turaco family. After stringent health protocols (to avoid passing human pathogens to the immunologically nave gorillas) and a trek through thick vegetation, small groups of visitors are afforded the life-changing opportunity to spend an hour in the company of these gentle giants. Learn more about the Okapi Conservation Project, a project working to protect these unique mammals in the DRC, as well as the forests and creatures of Okapi Wildlife Reserve. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}012545S 293254E / 1.42917S 29.54833E / -1.42917; 29.54833. The ICCN (Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature). The most visited section is the southern sector, dominated by dense montane forests home to a vital population of Africas remaining mountain gorillas. Hippo numbers increase to over 2000 for the first time in 20 years. app@africageographic.com Approximately one-third of the worlds population is found in Virunga National Park (the remainder is divided between Volcanoes, Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable national parks in neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda). Mount Nyiragongo is 3,470 meters, Mount Nyamuragira is 3,058 meters and Mount Mikeno is 4,437 meters. [8][9], There have been plans to drill for oil in the Congo Basin since the 2000s. Fortunately, stalwart sightseers can rest assured that the volcanos moods are carefully monitored lest it decides to let loose its fury of molten lava. In 1969, following the countrys independence from Belgium in 1960, the Park was renamed Virunga National Park. National park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mammals photographed in Virunga National Park, African bush elephant and African buffaloes, Settlements at the edge of the Nyiragongo crater, Ethnic groups in and around Virunga National Park, Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature, 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, China National Offshore Oil Corporation Ltd, Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, National Congress for the Defence of the People, Centre National d'Appui au Dveloppement et la Participation populaire, Deforestation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, List of birds of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tourism in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, "Virunga National Park Sees Its Worst Violence in a Decade, Director Says", "Twelve rangers killed in latest Virunga Park incident", "COP26: Landmark $500 million agreement launched to protect the DR Congo's forest", "Oil and gas exploration Virunga National Park", "DRC's oil blocks auction: Civil society statement on threats and intimidation of environmental defenders in DR Congo", "Contribution l'histoire jusque 1934 de la cration de l'Institut des parcs nationaux du Congo belge", "Conserving biodiversity in the Democratic Republic of Congo: a brief history, current trends and insights for the future", "The urgency of international intervention for the preservation of the mountain gorilla", "Beyond Contesting Limits: Land, Access, and Resistance at the Virunga National Park", "Sustainable development at natural World Heritage sites in Africa", "Engaging World Heritage to drive sustainable development in Africa: next steps", "Conserving forest biodiversity in times of violent conflict", "Transboundary collaboration in the Greater Virunga Landscape: From gorilla conservation to conflict-sensitive transboundary landscape management", "The counterinsurgency/conservation nexus: guerrilla livelihoods and the dynamics of conflict and violence in the Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo", "Militarised Conservation Threatens DRC's Indigenous People Part 1", "Six Virunga park rangers killed in DRC wildlife sanctuary", "In memoriam: deadliest attack on Virunga staff in Park's recent history brings total ranger deaths to 175", "Congo's Virunga park reopens eight months after deadly ambush", "Rangers killed in "deadliest" DR Congo park attack", "Six park rangers killed in DR Congo's Virunga gorilla reserve", "Six Virunga park rangers killed in eastern Congo ambush", "Italian ambassador to DR Congo killed in UN convoy attack", "On the germination of seeds in the dung balls of the African elephant in the Virunga National Park", "Behavioural adaptations to water scarcity in Tongo chimpanzees", Greater Virunga Landscape Large Mammal Surveys, 2010, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kyambura Wildlife Reserve, Kigezi Wildlife Reserve-General Management Plan (2011 - 2021), Aerial surveys of the Greater Virunga Landscape - Technical Report 2014, "L'apparition des crocodiles au lac ex-Edouard, Parc National des Virunga, Zare", "The Details of the Basongoro of Rwenzori and their Culture in Uganda", "Netflix's "Virunga" uncovers Congo's fight to protect resources", "Ndakasi, Beloved Mountain Gorilla of Photobomb Fame, dies", "Important Bird Areas factsheet: Virunga National Park", "Interview With Emmanuel de Merode, Director of Virunga National Park National Geographic Blog", "Inside the Fight to Save a Dangerous Park", National Parks of the Democratic Republic of Congo, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Virunga_National_Park&oldid=1147211296, National parks of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ramsar sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, World Heritage Sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nature conservation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 29 March 2023, at 14:08. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. [47] [5][21][49][50], African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) and African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) inhabit the national park's central sector. Most of them are dormant, except Mount Nyiragongo 3,462 metres (11,358ft) and Mount Nyamuragira 3,063 metres (10,049ft), both in the DRC. This picturesque part of the park adjoins the Rwenzori Mountains and Semuliki National Parks in neighbouring Uganda. [5], Primates present in the national park include mountain gorilla (G. b. beringei), common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), golden monkey, red-tailed monkey (Cercopithecus ascanius), Dent's mona monkey (C. denti), blue monkey (C. mitis), Hamlyn's monkey (C. hamlyni), De Brazza's monkey (C. neglectus), Central African red colobus (Procolobus foai), mantled guereza (Colobus guereza), olive baboon (Papio anubis) and grey-cheeked mangabey (Lophocebus albigena). Government officials supported exploration activities by Soco International mission members, whereas park management opposed. Explore one of the most biodiverse protected areas in the world. Here, Virunga reaches Lake Kivu and borders Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Mgahinga National Park in Uganda. The oldest mountain is Mount Sabyinyo, which rises 3,634 metres (11,923ft) above sea level. [48], The montane forest between 1,800 and 2,800m (5,900 and 9,200ft) in the southern sector is dominated by Ficalhoa laurifolia and Podocarpus milanjianus with up to 25m (82ft) high trees. In elevation, it ranges from 680 m (2,230 ft) in the Semliki River valley to 5,109 m (16,762 ft) in the Rwenzori Mountains.From north to south it extends approximately 300 km (190 mi), largely along the international borders with Uganda and . Each offers a different view of the lush vegetation and exquisite vistas. Virunga is the only site on earth to have three types of great apes the mountain gorilla, eastern lowland gorilla, and eastern chimpanzee. Others include Karisimbi - the highest at 4,507m, Bisoke and Sabyinyo in Rwanda, Gahinga and Muhabura in Uganda and Mikemo in DRC. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The past 14 years have been far from plain sailing, and the park has suffered its fair share of losses, particularly of the brave rangers dedicated to protecting the park. At 26,338 square kilometres (10,169 sq mi), Rwanda is the world's 149th-largest country. Mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) are a subspecies of the critically endangered eastern gorilla, and there are believed to be just over 1,000 remaining. This savannah-like section offers the best chance to spot the more traditional safari animals, including elephant, lion, and buffalo. It reopened in February 2019. national park, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Described by the Virunga park authorities as the Congos real treasure (rather than oil or metals), there are believed to be over 300 of these precious primates within the park. The southern sector stretches to the shores of Lake Kivu and encompasses Nyamulagira, Nyiragongo and Mikeno volcanoes with montane forests on their slopes. The mountain gorilla is taken off the IUCN critically endangered species list, marking a victory for Congolese, Rwandan and Ugandan National Parks. [34], These tactics, criticised as "militarization of conservation", has been blamed for further violence and dispossession faced by local indigenous people. Like humans, chimps communicate with facial expressions, gestures, and sounds. Virunga Mountains - Virunga Volcanoes, Virunga Mountain Ranges Nyamuragira is a high-potassium basaltic shield volcano with an elevation of 10,033 feet (3,058 meters). Virunga Mountains, Virunga also spelled Birunga, also called Mufumbiro Mountains, volcanic range north of Lake Kivu in east-central Africa, extending about 50 miles (80 km) along the borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. Virunga is the continent's most biologically diverse protected area and a national park embarking on an ambitious development programme known as the "Virunga Alliance". Located on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Rwenzoris, or Mountains of the Moon, are the third highest mountain chain in Africa. [34], Five rangers were killed in August 2017 near Lake Edward in a militia attack. Most visitors access the park via Rwanda and pass through the border at Goma. Learn more about the history of Virunga National Park by exploring the timeline below.