Together with Queen Elizabeth National Park, Virunga is considered by the IUCN to be a Lion Conservation Unit. Fortunately, stalwart sightseers can rest assured that the volcanos moods are carefully monitored lest it decides to let loose its fury of molten lava. The Virunga Mountains rise out of densely populated plateaus that are inhabited mostly by Rwandan cultivators and, in certain areas, by cattle herders. These, in turn, keep the lions of the park suitably satiated. The connection between man and gorilla can be further explored at the Senkwekwe Centre, the only mountain gorilla orphanage in the world. It covers an area of 8,090 km2 (3,120 sq mi). Also known as: Birunga Mountains, Mufumbiro Mountains. The local community has developed negative feeling towards park personnel and the military. Hiking the Sabyinyo volcano takes approximately 7 to 9 hours. The Grauers gorillas consist of a handful of individuals isolated to the inaccessible Mount Tshiabirimu region of the park. Most visitors access the park via Rwanda and pass through the border at Goma. They consume mainly fish but have been known to consume carrion, birds, monkeys and even crocodile hatchlings when prey is scarce. 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). Some biologists even believe that a fifth subspecies, called the mountain or Virunga buffalo, should be recognised. Farther north are the Rutshuru Falls and the Mai ya Moto sulfur springs. The range runs east-west, perpendicular to the rift valley in which lie Lakes Kivu and Edward. They are located between Lake Edward and Lake Kivu. Poachers murder four mountain gorillas, making this the first time in 10 years that a mountain gorilla had been poached within Park borders. 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. 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. 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). 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. Like humans, chimps communicate with facial expressions, gestures, and sounds. 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. Discounts at Africas best lodges and on our hand-made packages subscribers only, STORIES & DISCUSSIONS One of Africas most spectacular protected areas. 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. The park is periodically closed when they feel that the situation on the ground is such that security cannot be guaranteed. Disorder spreads across the Park's Southern Sector. The Virunga Mountains lie between Lakes Kivu and Edward and extend into Rwanda and Uganda. 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. While the apes may be the stars, the supporting cast of around 19 smaller primate species is deserving of a special mention. However, extraordinary doesnt even begin to cover it. This picturesque part of the park adjoins the Rwenzori Mountains and Semuliki National Parks in neighbouring Uganda. The mountain range consists of eight major volcanoes. The park is a crucial habitat for giant and tree pangolin, crested porcupine and even Lord Derbys scaly-tailed squirrel (a rodent with a very similar design to flying squirrels). The central sector is based around Lake Edward, the Ishasha river valley and the Rwindi plains. 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. Chattering troops of flamboyant eastern b, There are four recognised subspecies of the African buffalo in Africa and two of these the Cape and forest are found in Virunga. [33], In 2005, the European Commission (EC) recommended a public-private partnership between the country's government and the British non-governmental organisation African Conservation Fund. It is . Furthermore, a substantial number of these are Albertine Rift and Congolese endemics. A land of unparalleled biodiversity and exceptional beauty, bursting with life of every form. 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. This may also be done to protect the highly susceptible apes from human diseases like Covid-19. Over 90% of refugees settle within walking distance of Park borders. [14][15][16][17] Indigenous people lost their traditional land rights in this process, and were evicted from the protected area. Virunga National Park is placed on the list of endangered World Heritage sites. Mikeno and Sabinio are the oldest of these, dating from the early part of the Pleistocene Epoch (the Pleistocene began about 2,600,000 years ago and lasted until about 11,700 years ago); their craters have disappeared, and erosion has imposed a jagged relief. Still, military and rebel forces remain in eastern Congo and continue fighting as well as poaching and cutting down trees. Tree heath (Erica arborea), heather and mosses cover humid slopes up to 3,700m (12,100ft) elevation. It was created in 1925. The 8 Virunga Volcano Mountains: The Virunga is a chain of Volcanic Mountains in East Africa that's shared between Uganda, Rwanda and DRC. The range lies between the Lake Kivu and Lake Edward, and is an extension of the Albertine Rift Mountains. There is something about the familiarity of their facial expressions, their familial bonds and the calm, contained power that makes gorilla trekking unlike any conventional animal encounter. [61][62] Ndakasi, a gorilla from the park, was featured in a few television series and movies, including the Netflix documentary.[63]. 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. Most visitors opt to rotate through the different options. The world population of mountain gorillas is currently estimated to be at around 1000 individuals. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Great blues are shy and rarely descend to the ground except for drinking and bathing. 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. The Park is founded as Parc Albert, the first national park to be established on the African continent. They are solitary creatures who remain isolated except when threatened or breeding. In contrast to the relatively sedate gorilla trekking, chimp habituation more often than not involves an adrenaline-filled race through the forest to keep up with our arboreal relatives. Some biologists even believe that a fifth subspecies, called the mountain or Virunga buffalo, should be recognised. They are situated in the same region at the borders of the three countries. Tourism remains a cornerstone of the parks conservation efforts, and to that end, all of the lodges within the park are non-profit, with all proceeds fed back into keeping the park protected. [8][9], There have been plans to drill for oil in the Congo Basin since the 2000s. The lava field of these two volcanoes has remained active, with notable eruptions occurring in 1912, 1938, 1948, the 1970s, and 2002. Rwanda is located in East Africa, to the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, at the co-ordinates 200S 300E . 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. [40] Again in January 2021, armed men killed at least six rangers and wounded several others in an ambush in the national park. Nyiragongo is an active stratovolcano that features the worlds largest lava lake at 700 feet (213 meters) across and reaches 11,380 feet (3,470 meters) in height. ceo@africageographic.com, Travel & conservation company, since 1991,
, The oldest national park in Africa, Virunga National Park covers nearly 8,000km. Baumas love for his primate family endeared him to the audiences of the Oscar-nominated film, Mountain gorillas aside, Virungas great ape collection also includes, While the apes may be the stars, the supporting cast of around 19 smaller primate species is deserving of a special mention. It is also a vital elephant habitat, as evidenced by the unexpected migration of nearly 600 elephants from neighbouring Queen Elizabeth at the end of 2020. The great blue turaco is the largest member of the turaco family. The 2008 partnership between the Congolese National Parks Authority (ICCN) and the Virunga Foundation marked a turning point in the parks history. The worlds entire population of critically endangered mountain gorillas live only in the Virunga Massif and Bwindi National Park, which spans parts of Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda. Both state security services and such groups also resort to armed robberies and kidnapping for income. The Virunga Foundation is a UK-based charity founded in 2005, created to support the protection of the flora and fauna of the Park, and to generate benefits for the local communities that live around the national park. Following international protests, the company stopped exploring activities and consented to refrain from starting similar operations in the vicinity of World Heritage sites. [2] It covers an area of 8,090km2 (3,120sqmi). The presence of these volcanoes has shaped the landscape of the park over the years . When Albert National Park was established in April 1925 as the Congo's first national park, it was conceived as a science-oriented nature reserve with the aim of studying and preserving wildlife and so-called "primitive" hunter-gatherer African Pygmies. Lake Rutenzige is fed by several large rivers, the Rutshuru River being one, and drains to the north through the Semliki River into Lake Albert. 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. 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. Of these, nine gorilla families have been carefully habituated over the last thirty years. The local community has no where else to turn for security, and relies on the protection of armed groups, for which fees are levied off the prohibited activities. Virunga National Park is one of the five UNESCO protected areas that fall under the jurisdiction of the ICCN. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Recent eruptions occurred in 2006, 2010 and May 2021. It is headed by Andr Bauma, a man who has become almost as famous as his gorilla charges. The rapid population surge causes environmental damage, and Virungas Rangers struggle to protect the forests. [44] As a consequence, the park remained closed to visitors from June 2018[38] until February 2019. [50] The mountain gorilla is taken off the IUCN critically endangered species list, marking a victory for Congolese, Rwandan and Ugandan National Parks. Nyiragongo has erupted over thirty times since the end of the 19. century. [4] [46] Nyiragongos summit rim is largely devoid of vegetation and is sometimes dusted with snow. The ICCN and Virunga Foundation enter into a long term management agreement. Adult African fish eagles have mostly brown bodies with a white head and yellow face and large, powerful, black wings. (For more on the conservation and social developments by the Virunga Alliance, have a look at their website.). The Virunga Mountains also popularly known as the Virunga Volcanoes range are a chain of eight volcanoes created by violent eruptions in the Albertine Rift region. 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. Lake Edward is a vital resource for local fishermen. Here dedicated keepers have raised the young survivors of anthropogenic cruelty (poaching and snaring), as well as rehabilitating eastern lowland gorillas. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. On several occasions a lava stream reached the shores of Lake Kivu. 2003). Virunga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. As anyone who has ever spent time with gorillas will tell you, it is an experience that defies words and borders on sacred. [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. 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. The national park's central sector encompasses about two thirds of Lake Edward up to the international border with Uganda in the east. The word Virunga is and English word derived from Kinyarwanda word "Ibirunga" to meat "Mountains" You can make a differenceby joining our community of dedicated individuals who aim to protect Africas oldest national park and bring peace and prosperity for the four million people who depend on it. The first maps resulted from the major expedition of Adolf Friedrich, duke of Mecklenburg, which was undertaken in 190708. The mountain range is a branch of the Albertine Rift Mountains, which border the western branch of the East African Rift. From north to south it extends approximately 300km (190mi), largely along the international borders with Uganda and Rwanda in the east. The name Virunga comes from the Kinyarwanda word ibirunga, which means volcanoes. Virunga National Park, formerly Albert National Park, park in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa). is the branch of the Congolese government tasked with the protection and conservation of protected areas in the DRC. Chimpanzees are an endangered species and one of the four species of great apes. [2], The northern sector of Virunga National Park is contiguous with Uganda's Semuliki park, the Rwenzori Mountains National Park, and the central sector with Queen Elizabeth National Park. [45][54], Virunga National Park together with the adjacent Queen Elizabeth National Park forms a "Lion Conservation Unit". Farther north are the Rutshuru Falls and the Mai ya Moto sulfur springs. Of the population, 12,000 reside in South Africa and 18,000 in East Africa. Virunga National Park is a national park in the Albertine Rift Valley in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [2] Latter controlled the Mikeno sector of Virunga National Park between December 2006 and January 2009. Photo Galleries, Photographer of the Year, TRAVEL & CONSERVATION COMPANY The most visited section is the southern sector, dominated by dense montane forests home to a vital population of Africas remaining mountain gorillas. [3][47] The Viringa Mountains are composed of up to 8 Volcanic summits including two active volcanoes of Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira located in DRC in Virunga National Park. Virunga is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its spectacular biodiversity, with over 2,000 plant species, 706 bird species, and nearly 200 reptile and amphibian species. [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. [51][52][53] Other ungulates present include Ugandan kob (Kobus kob thomasi), waterbuck (K. ellipsiprymnus), andcommon warthog (Phacochoerus africanus). Hippo numbers increase to over 2000 for the first time in 20 years. Non-endemic birds recorded include Wahlberg's eagle, African goshawk, African hobby, harrier hawk, common buzzard, mountain buzzard, hadeda ibis, grey-crowned crane, black-and-white-casqued hornbill, black-billed turaco, African olive pigeon, tambourine dove, blue-spotted wood dove, red-eyed dove, brown-necked parrot, red-chested cuckoo, olive long-tailed cuckoo, barred long-tailed cuckoo, Klaas's cuckoo, Diederik cuckoo, blue-headed coucal, Narina trogon, white-headed wood hoopoe, white-necked raven, white-tailed crested flycatcher, African paradise flycatcher, white-eyed slaty flycatcher, African dusky flycatcher, white-tailed blue flycatcher, mountain oriole, speckled mousebird, cinnamon-chested bee-eater, grey-throated barbet, yellow-billed barbet, western tinkerbird, yellow-rumped tinkerbird, cardinal woodpecker, olive woodpecker, black saw-wing, Angola swallow, Alpine swift, mountain greenbul, yellow-whiskered greenbul, common bulbul, white-starred robin, Archer's ground robin, white-browed robin-chat, African stonechat, rufous thrush, African thrush, olive thrush, grassland pipit, cinnamon bracken warbler, black-faced rufous warbler, mountain yellow warbler, brown woodland warbler, green sandpiper, Chubb's cisticola, banded prinia, chestnut-throated apalis, grey-backed camaroptera, white-browed crombec, black-throated wattle-eye, chinspot batis, mountain illadopsis, grey-chested illadopsis, olive sunbird, bronze sunbird, malachite sunbird, collared sunbird, variable sunbird, yellow white-eye, Mackinnon's shrike, Doherty's bushshrike, Lhder's bushshrike, northern puffback, mountain sooty boubou, tropical boubou, narrow-tailed starling, Sharpe's starling, baglafecht weaver, black bishop, grey-headed nigrita, common waxbill, black-headed waxbill, bronze mannikin, black and white mannikin, pin-tailed whydah, African citril, streaky seedeater and thick-billed seedeater.[57].Heaven Is Three Feet Off The Ground,
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