The southern sector borders Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The First and Second Congo Wars further destabilised the region. 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. Two major African rivers, the Nile and the. Mount Mikeno is an extinct volcano located in the Virunga Mountains. A narrow corridor of 35km (1.93.1mi) width along the lake's western bank connects the northern and southern sectors of the national park. Over the past 20 years, Virunga has seen many periods of conflict, often beginning in or around the Park. The central sector is based around Lake Edward, the Ishasha river valley and the Rwindi plains. Though Virunga is accessible year-round (if open to visitors), the best time to visit is during the drier months, from June until September or December until February. [31], Since the early 1990s, the protected area was impacted by political turmoil in the African Great Lakes region. Average temperatures in lower altitudes vary from 2328C (7382F), and in higher altitudes from 1624C (6175F), rarely dropping below 14C (57F). Virunga National Park was founded in 1925 as Albert National Park. [24], In the late 1950s, Tutsi herders and their cattle entered the park, destroying natural habitat up to an altitude of 3,000m (9,800ft), which was thought to threaten the park's gorillas. Mount Karisimbi is the highest volcano at 4,507 metres (14,787ft). 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. The parks southern tip rests on the northern shore of Lake Kivu, a short distance from the town of Goma to the east. The local community has developed negative feeling towards park personnel and the military. In 2008, the Congolese National Parks Authority, (Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature, ICCN), and the Virunga Foundation (then known as the Africa Conservation Foundation), entered into a partnership to manage the Park. However, wet seasons are a good option for those with a pair of solid, waterproof boots looking to take advantage of the low-season discounts. However, extraordinary doesnt even begin to cover it. The volcanos forested lower slopes are home to a variety of animals, including chimpanzees, monkeys, and bushbuck. [45] Despite the global call for protected areas to cover 30% of the earth by 2030, there are still many parks and reserves where the future hangs very much in the balance. 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 may also be done to protect the highly susceptible apes from human diseases like Covid-19. [26] Park personnel are given paramilitary training and high-quality weaponry, and operate together with the military and state security services. Virunga National Park is one of the five UNESCO protected areas that fall under the jurisdiction of the ICCN. Virungas southern sector is best known for its montane tropical forests, active volcanoes, and the mountain gorillas that live on the flanks of the dormant Mikeno volcano. In 1969, following the countrys independence from Belgium in 1960, the Park was renamed Virunga National Park. Hippos, which can weigh up to 4,400 pounds (almost 2,000 kilograms), make their home in many different rivers, lakes, and pools throughout Virunga. It conserves a diversity of habitats that surpasses any other park on the continent and is tucked along the eastern boundary of the Democratic Republic of Congo, protecting the eastward extremity of the Congo Basin. Virunga Mountains in Congo were formed as a result of volcanic activity from the past. Only one mountain of the 8 is an active volcano that is Mount Nyiragongo found in DRCongo. Mount Nyiragongo in Virunga National Park is one . Though the full history of the park (and the DRC) is beyond the scope of this celebration of Virunga, no coverage would be complete without mention of both the challenges and efforts involved in keeping it safe. The mountain range is a branch of the Albertine Rift Mountains, which border the western branch of the East African Rift. The Virunga Mountain in Rwanda, Congo and Uganda The Virunga volcanoes /mountains also locally known as Mufumbiro are located in three countries Uganda, Rwanda and DRCongo. Y rt nhiu cu v d dch cha "VN QUC GIA CONGO" - ting vit-ting anh bn dch v ng c cho bn dch ting vit tm kim. [55] The area is considered a potential lion (Panthera leo) stronghold, if poaching is curbed and prey species recover. Some biologists even believe that a fifth subspecies, called the mountain or Virunga buffalo, should be recognised. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [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. Goma, the capital city of the province on the northern shores of Lake Kivu is 35 km (1-hour drive) away from Rumangabo, the park headquarters located in the southern sector of Kibumba. [18] In 1969, the two parks were merged under the name Virunga National Park, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Both the highest and lowest recorded rainfalls in the republic occur within the parks boundaries: while annual rainfall at Lake Edward is some 20 inches (500 mm), the west slope of Mount Ruwenzori, less than 47 miles (75 km) away, receives more than 118 inches (3,000 mm). As is inevitable, this tableau of human suffering has spilt over into the conservation of the countrys natural resources, and Virunga has found itself in the middle of countless conflicts. Much of the parks central region is occupied by Lake Edward. The okapi is the closest known relative to the giraffe and looks very much as though someone crossed a zebra, antelope, and giraffe. These local men and women go through intensive training, risking their lives on a daily basis to safeguard the Parks exceptional wildlife, including the last of the worlds endangered mountain gorillas. He even attended the Oscars ceremony in Los Angeles. [27][28][29][30], By 2016, four hydropower dams were constructed that provide electricity to small businesses and benefit more than 200,000 rural people. Okapi (Okapia johnstoni), blue duiker (Philantomba monticola), bay duiker (Cephalophus dorsalis), Weyns's duiker (C. weynsi), yellow-backed duiker (C. silvicultor), water chevrotain (Hyemoschus aquaticus), red river hog (Potamochoerus porcus), aardvark (Orycteropus afer) and bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus) were recorded in the northern sector in 2008. Seven mountain gorillas from the Rugendo family are murdered. Regional conflict spills over and an estimated 5.6 million Congolese die from the fighting. Virunga is part of the Albertine Rift (the western branch of the East African Rift) and stretches from the snow-covered peaks of the Rwenzori Mountains in the north to the Virunga Massif in the south. Following international protests, the company stopped exploring activities and consented to refrain from starting similar operations in the vicinity of World Heritage sites. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Like humans, chimps communicate with facial expressions, gestures, and sounds. There are melodic Kivu ground thrushes, mythical Grauers cuckooshrikes and yellow-crested helmetshrikes, mysterious Albertine owlets and ghostly Congo Bay owls, dazzling purple-breasted and Rockefeller sunbirds, raucous white-headed woodhoopoes, dainty Rwenzori batises, data deficient and endangered Itombwe nightjars, Prigogines greenbuls, Kungwe apalises, Grauers swamp warbler and golden-naped weavers. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/place/Virunga-National-Park, UNESCO World Heritage Centre - Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa). The Virunga Mountains are all volcanic mountains but most of them are dormant. Virunga Mountains is located in the East Africa with a chain of volcanoes that are within the borders of the countries Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Rwanda. Eastern Congo is one of the most economically disadvantaged places on earth, and competition for the Parks rich natural resources has always been fierce. The lava field of these two volcanoes has remained active, with notable eruptions occurring in 1912, 1938, 1948, the 1970s, and 2002. Tourism facilities were developed and improved, and a trickle of intrepid visitors gradually turned into a steady stream of people looking to experience one of Africas most incredible destinations. While many of the gorillas sensibly prefer to reside on the slopes of the dormant Mikeno volcano, the southern section is also the location of the two active volcanoes in the park Mount Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira. The 300km-long park is divided into three primary sectors: northern, central, and southern, which together combine to protect an astonishing array of landscapes from alpine vegetation and montane forests to lava plains and wetlands. 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. Lake Edward is a vital resource for local fishermen. [8][9], There have been plans to drill for oil in the Congo Basin since the 2000s. The number of bird species in Virunga exceeds the total number in the U.S. and is more than three times the number in the U.K. Virungas recorded number of reptile species makes it the richest of the protected areas in Africa. In the wake of serious security issues, including the murder of park rangers and the kidnapping of tourists, park management announced in June 2018 that the park would be closed to tourists until at least the end of the year. [41][42], On 22 February 2021, Italy's ambassador to the DRC who was travelling with the World Food Programme about 15km north of Goma, Luca Attanasio, as well as Italian military police officer Vittorio Iacovacci and Congolese driver Moustapha Milambo, were killed in the gunfire when a militia that had kidnapped their convoy, and had brought them into the park, was met by park rangers who managed to free four people. Also known as: Birunga Mountains, Mufumbiro Mountains. [51][52][53] Other ungulates present include Ugandan kob (Kobus kob thomasi), waterbuck (K. ellipsiprymnus), andcommon warthog (Phacochoerus africanus). There is a place in the heart of Africa where glacier-tipped mountains tumble down into steamy rain forests, where fiery lava lakes bubble, and savannas and grasslands stretch as far as the eye can see. The increased human population contributed to deforestation and poaching, and some natural animal migration patterns have been seriously disrupted. Corrections? From north to south it extends approximately 300km (190mi), largely along the international borders with Uganda and Rwanda in the east. Virunga is the continents most biologically diverse protected area and a national park embarking on an ambitious development programme known as the Virunga Alliance. It includes the Rwindi plains and the Ishasha River valley, and is contiguous with Ugandas Queen Elizabeth National Park to the east. Situated in the center of the Albertine Rift, between Uganda and Rwanda, Virungas 7,800 square kilometers (3,000 square miles) stretches from the Virunga Massif in the south, to the Rwenzori Mountains in the north. On any given day, its shores abound with hippos, elephants, crocodiles, and chimpanzees. [19], In 1934, the Institut des Parcs Nationaux du Congo Belge was founded as the governing body for national parks in the Belgian Congo. The great blue turaco is the largest member of the turaco family. The park is periodically closed when they feel that the situation on the ground is such that security cannot be guaranteed. Okapis are shy and solitary animals that resemble zebras but are more closely related to the giraffe and are endemic to the DRC. There are four recognised subspecies of the African buffalo in Africa and two of these the Cape and forest are found in Virunga. The park is home to abundant wildlife, including elephants, whose numbers began decreasing in the late 20th century, and lions, which also face various threats. The presence of these volcanoes has shaped the landscape of the park over the years . It was created in 1925. The Virunga Mountains lie between Lakes Kivu and Edward and extend into Rwanda and Uganda. Okapis are endangered, and there are probably only a few thousand remaining. [49] All of the topi (Damaliscus lunatus jimela) cluster to the south of Lake Edward in the Ishasha Flats region, and regularly cross the border into Uganda. is the branch of the Congolese government tasked with the protection and conservation of protected areas in the DRC. Some biologists even believe that a fifth subspecies, called the mountain or Virunga buffalo, should be recognised. Learn more about Dodo Bahati, a project supporting anti-poaching efforts in Virunga National Park. The northern sector is characterised by the dramatic Rwenzori Mountains, with sharp peaks and plunging valleys that descend to the Semuliki River valley. Created in 1925, it has an area of some 3,050 square miles (7,900 square km) and contains a vast diversity of habitats. The Virungas form a barrier between the Nile Basin to the north and east and the Congo Basin to the west and south. Hippopotamuses, rare mountain gorillas, okapis, antelope, warthogs, and pelicans all live in Virunga as well. The range lies between the Lake Kivu and Lake Edward, and is an extension of the Albertine Rift Mountains. Virunga owes its existence, at least in part, to the presence of the endangered (, . [54] They consume mainly fish but have been known to consume carrion, birds, monkeys and even crocodile hatchlings when prey is scarce. Park protection efforts were militarised in the following years to deter armed rebel groups and poachers from operating inside the park. Virunga has a vision for responsibly harnessing the Parks natural resources to create new opportunities for the four million people that live within a days walk of its borders. The Virunga Mountains is located in the East Africa with a chain of volcanoes that are within the borders of the countries Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Rwanda.The mountain range is said to be a part of the Albertine Rift located in the Great Rift Valley. Their ambitious peace-building program aims to create 100,000 jobs, providing young Congolese with viable alternatives to conflict-related activities. The human population there, which was negligible when the park was established, increased considerably during the late 20th century. The mountain gorilla is taken off the IUCN critically endangered species list, marking a victory for Congolese, Rwandan and Ugandan National Parks. [email protected] This partnership initiated a comprehensive reform program and planted the seed for what would become the Virunga Alliance an innovative development programme to address the root causes of poverty and conflict, with the aim of eradicating illegal and destructive resource extraction in the region. Carefully selected conservation projects one-stop, seamless, transparent donations APP subscribers only. The mountain gorillas have increased from fewer than 70 to over 300 in ten years and hippos from 300 to over 2,000, while elephant and lion sightings are now a fairly regular occurrence. Safaris, discussions & donations that make a real difference in Africa. Illegal hunting inside protected areas increased. Every family comes with its dynamics, characters and stories, and the rangers have kept track of it all you can, read more about their histories and present breakdown here. [39], In April 2020 at least 12 park rangers were killed by militia men attacking a civilian convoy. There are an estimated 30,000 individuals left in the wild. The Virunga Mountains that mark the southern sector of the park consist of eight major volcanoes, most of which are dormant.
