Virunga National Park

Virunga National Park in Africa in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo at the eastern edge of the Congo basin is found in the northern sector of the Great Rift Valley in the Albertine Rift and the South of Rutshuru. It was created in 1925 as Albert National Park by King Albert 1 who was the King of Belgium then, thus the first safari park to be created in the African continent one of the world’s first. Virunga NP ranges between 680 m (the Semliki River area) to 5,109 m (the Rwenzori Mountains area in the North) above sea level and it is governed by the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation). Virunga covers an area of 8,090 km2 of unique habitats compared to any other African park and some of its parts extend along Southwestern Uganda and the Rwanda borders. About half of the rich diversity in the Sub-Saharan African is found in this protected area and it is governed by both Congolese and international law. Inside Virunga NP are two active volcanoes which are Mount Nyiragongo and Mount Nyamuragira both among the Virunga Mountains (Virunga massif) spread in North Kivu and you can hike an active volcano of your choice. Virunga also harbors a rich wildlife of over 3000 of both flora and fauna species counting 264 registered tree species and 230 plants that are endemic to the Albertine Rift. About 300 of these species are endemic to the Albertine Rift, but famously the world’s endangered Mountain Gorillas. It was thus declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 for conservation and to protect this rich endemism, although its civil conflict threatens its World Heritage status. Due to the discovery of oil in Virunga, Soco International, a British oil company began oil explorations but later withdrew. Although Virunga NP has had horrid moments due to war and conflict from rebel groups, political unrest, and Volcanic eruptions from Mount Nyiragongo, it is still a must-visit destination, especially for watching Albert Rift endemic wildlife and connecting to other neighboring protected areas. Below, we discuss more about Congo’s Parc National des Virunga in Africa.