Of these, nine gorilla families have been carefully habituated over the last thirty years. However, extraordinary doesnt even begin to cover it. Today, they are probably the parks most famous residents. The Park is founded as Parc Albert, the first national park to be established on the African continent. [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. 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. Eastern Congo is one of the most economically disadvantaged places on earth, and competition for the Parks rich natural resources has always been fierce. [10][11] To improve the country's economic situation the government undermined that very protection by auctioning oil exploration blocks inside the park by the end of July 2022. On several occasions a lava stream reached the shores of Lake Kivu. [8][9], There have been plans to drill for oil in the Congo Basin since the 2000s. The oldest mountain is Mount Sabyinyo, which rises 3,634 metres (11,923ft) above sea level. [47] Marked the end of the M23 war, and tourism is officially relauched in the Park after being forced to close for almost two years. [34], These tactics, criticised as "militarization of conservation", has been blamed for further violence and dispossession faced by local indigenous people. 2003). Alongside this essential conservation work, the Park is committed to supporting local communities. Updates? The female, with a wingspan of up to 8 feet (2.4 meters), is larger than the male. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. Mount Nyiragongo in Virunga National Park is one . Like humans, chimps communicate with facial expressions, gestures, and sounds. The inhabitants inside the national park, whether native or refugees, rely on farming, hunting, fishing, logging and producing charcoal for their livelihoods, all prohibited activities. The oldest national park in Africa, Virunga National Park covers nearly 8,000km2 (800,000 hectares) an area roughly three times the size of Luxembourg. 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. Communities, such as the Mbuti, which previously relied on the lands included in the park for food and shelter have been forced out, or risk being arrested or killed by armed park rangers. (For more on the conservation and social developments by the Virunga Alliance, have a look at their website.). The central sector is centred around the banks of Lake Edward. 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. 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. The connection between man and gorilla can be further explored at the Senkwekwe Centre, the only mountain gorilla orphanage in the world. VN QUC GIA CONGO Ting anh l g - trong Ting anh Dch The park is also home to a diverse array of fauna and flora, including over 200 mammal species and a third of the worlds remaining mountain gorillas. 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. Here is a summary of the most important information about the hike that can become one of the most amazing experiences of your life. The range runs east-west, perpendicular to the rift valley in which lie Lakes Kivu and Edward. They are situated in the same region at the borders of the three countries. The Virunga Mountains are all volcanic mountains but most of them are dormant. Virunga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. 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. The, However, this is no idle volcano. They consume mainly fish but have been known to consume carrion, birds, monkeys and even crocodile hatchlings when prey is scarce. Elevations, climates, and habitats vary notably in Virunga National Park. The slopes of Mount Mikeno play host to a number of Virungas critically endangered mountain gorilla families. Tullow Oil Plc, TotalEnergies, ENI and China National Offshore Oil Corporation Ltd (CNOOC) were interested in acquiring drilling permissions. In 1969, following the countrys independence from Belgium in 1960, the Park was renamed Virunga National Park. Virunga National Park is one such park, still tumbling in the currents of war, political instability, poverty, and disease. The great blue turaco is the largest member of the turaco family. ceo@africageographic.com, Travel & conservation company, since 1991, , The oldest national park in Africa, Virunga National Park covers nearly 8,000km. Though there are innumerable reasons to want to visit Virunga National Park, the potential insecurity in the region is of concern to many prospective visitors. Two active volcanoes are located in the park, Mount Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira. The 2008 partnership between the Congolese National Parks Authority (ICCN) and the Virunga Foundation marked a turning point in the parks history. As anyone who has ever spent time with gorillas will tell you, it is an experience that defies words and borders on sacred. [18] In 1969, the two parks were merged under the name Virunga National Park, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. [6] It has been listed in the List of World Heritage in Danger since 1994 because of civil unrest and the increase of human presence in the region. The best way to establish the state of affairs and what activities are on offer is to chat to the Africa Geographic travel team, who are in constant communication with Virungas park authorities and regularly send intrepid travelers to the area when it is safe to do so. Nyamuragira is a high-potassium basaltic shield volcano with an elevation of 10,033 feet (3,058 meters). 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. Adult African fish eagles have mostly brown bodies with a white head and yellow face and large, powerful, black wings. Clashes occurred in 2015 when a local Mai-Mai group in Binza (north Bwisha) attempted to take back control of region, with the objective of reinstalling fishing activities and allowing the population to return, killing a park guard and 11-15 soldiers. 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. Rwanda is located in East Africa, to the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, at the co-ordinates 200S 300E . Virunga National Park is a national park in the Albertine Rift Valley in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 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. Also known as: Birunga Mountains, Mufumbiro Mountains. Virunga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is Virunga National Park in DRC, and it is remarkable. Virunga national park located in the democratic republic of Congo hosts 6 Virunga volcanoes that is mount karisimbi, mount Nyiragongo, mount Sabyinyo, mount Mikeno, mount Nyamurangira, and Mount Bisoke. The Centre is the only one of its kind in the world. [12] Local and global groups, such as Greenpeace, are warning about the social and ecological impact of devastating the forest for oil production. All travel bookings booked via Trust my Travel are financially protected by them. The name "Virunga" is an English version of the Kinyarwanda word ibirunga, which means "volcanoes". In this near-forgotten corner of Africa, adventurers, soul-seekers, and naturalists will find an electrifying celebration of life at its most raw a kaleidoscope of natures wonders and a living history of human and wild resilience. It is an extraordinary park steeped in a history of tragedy and heroism: primordial and viscerally wild. Mountain gorillas (, ) are a subspecies of the critically endangered eastern gorilla, and there are believed to be just over 1,000 remaining. To comment on this story: Download our app here - it's a troll-free safe place . Their ambitious peace-building program aims to create 100,000 jobs, providing young Congolese with viable alternatives to conflict-related activities. 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. The six volcanoes of the centre and east are extinct. 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. 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. Ethnic groups living in and around Virunga National Park include: The documentary Virunga documents the work of Virunga National Park rangers and the activities of British oil company Soco International within the park. Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda Parc National Des Volcans Guide [37] In May 2018, a ranger was killed when defending two tourists who were kidnapped. Virunga National Park is one of the five UNESCO protected areas that fall under the jurisdiction of the ICCN. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. This picturesque part of the park adjoins the Rwenzori Mountains and Semuliki National Parks in neighbouring Uganda. It was created in 1925. Virunga National Park (covering an area of 790,000 ha) comprises an outstanding diversity of habitats, ranging from swamps and steppes to the snowfields of Rwenzori at an altitude of over 5,000 m, and from lava plains to the savannahs on the slopes of volcanoes. They have significantly shaped the national park's diverse habitats and wildlife. Together with Queen Elizabeth National Park, Virunga is considered by the IUCN to be a Lion Conservation Unit. The connection between man and gorilla can be further explored at the Senkwekwe Centre, the only mountain gorilla orphanage in the world. Facts About Virunga Mountains | Mount Nyiragongo | Volcanoes Park 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.
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