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. The First and Second Congo Wars further destabilised the region. Harnessed bushbuck (T. scriptus) and giant forest hog (Hylochoerus meinertzhageni) are present in the southern sector. Take a Thrilling Adventure in Uganda Hiking the Sabyinyo Volcano Sabyinyo volcano, located on the border of Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo in the Virunga Mountains, is simply incredible! [5][21][49][50], African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) and African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) inhabit the national park's central sector. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The southern sector of Congos Virunga National Park includes those portions of the mountains that are within Congo; the southern flanks of the central and eastern mountains comprise Volcanoes National Park in northwestern Rwanda; and Gorilla National Park includes the Ugandan slopes of Mgahinga. The connection between man and gorilla can be further explored at the Senkwekwe Centre, the only mountain gorilla orphanage in the world. Seven mountain gorillas from the Rugendo family are murdered. 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. Though valiant efforts were made to protect the park, the end of the 20th century saw much of the parks wildlife massacred almost to the point of extinction. The crater of Muhavura contains a small lake. The Rwandan genocide causes nearly two million refugees to flee the country. It includes the Rwindi plains and the Ishasha River valley, and is contiguous with Ugandas Queen Elizabeth National Park to the east. Hippopotamuses, rare mountain gorillas, okapis, antelope, warthogs, and pelicans all live in Virunga as well. Ultra-luxury is not the order of the day in Virunga, but there are high-end accommodation options, and all the camps are comfortable. It reopened in February 2019. national park, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Virunga Mountains (also known as Mufumbiro[1]) are a chain of volcanoes in East Africa, along the northern border of Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Uganda. 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. It covers an area of 8,090 km2 (3,120 sq mi). [34], These tactics, criticised as "militarization of conservation", has been blamed for further violence and dispossession faced by local indigenous people. Satellite images showed hotspots at Nyamuragira volcano in early 2017, indicating ongoing eruptions. Ten years later in 1979, Virunga was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 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. There are an estimated 30,000 individuals left in the wild. 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. The gorilla massacres catalyzed a groundswell of efforts to protect 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. Virunga Mountains | Location, Description, & Facts Lake Edward is a vital resource for local fishermen. Virunga National Park | Overview, Location, History, & Facts [50] It is Virunga National Park in DRC, and it is remarkable. Facts About Virunga Mountains | Mount Nyiragongo | Volcanoes Park Safaris, discussions & donations that make a real difference in Africa. Virunga Mountains | National Park | Gorillas | Rwanda | Uganda 2003). Together with Queen Elizabeth National Park, Virunga is considered by the IUCN to be a Lion Conservation Unit. Established 1991, BEST SAFARI PRICES Virunga National Park was founded in 1925 as Albert National Park. Mount Nyiragongo in Virunga National Park is one . As a consequence, the park remained closed to visitors from June 2018[38] until February 2019. Anti-poaching patrols inside the park were obstructed, and park personnel and wildlife were killed. The protected area was extended in 1929 by Virunga National Park, which encompassed the Virunga Mountains, parts of the Rutshuru Territory, and the plains south of Lake Edward. It is also a vital elephant habitat, as evidenced by the unexpected migration of, nearly 600 elephants from neighbouring Queen Elizabeth. The word Virunga is and English word derived from Kinyarwanda word "Ibirunga" to meat "Mountains" Surrounded by the mountains and home to Lake Edward, this large expanse of grassland and wooded savanna plays host to the Parks highest concentrations of elephants, buffalos and warthogs. Today, they are probably the parks most famous residents. The 8 Virunga Volcano Mountains/Virunga Massif in Africa The mountain range is said to be a part of the Albertine Rift located in the Great Rift Valley. The Virunga Mountains (Virunga massif/Virunga ranges) is a block of Chain Mountains found in East - central Africa. Geography of Rwanda. However, taking one taxing step at a time has paid off. Explore one of the most biodiverse protected areas in the world. Five rangers and a driver were killed in April 2018. The two active volcanoes in the range Mount Nyiragongo and Mount Nyamuragira are in Virunga National Park, and both reach heights of over 3,000 metres. The ICCN and Virunga Foundation enter into a long term management agreement. The mountain range is a branch of the Albertine Rift Mountains, which border the western branch of the East African Rift. 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. These, in turn, keep the lions of the park suitably satiated. To the northeast the Ruwenzori Range soars to more than 16,000 feet (4,880 metres). In 2007, the mass killing of the Rugendo family of gorillas catapulted the parks plight onto the world stage, and the global attention spurned increased funding and conservation measures. Around one third of the world population of critically endangered mountain gorillas live in the lush volcanic forests of Virunga National Park. 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. 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. As anyone who has ever spent time with gorillas will tell you, it is an experience that defies words and borders on sacred. Following international protests, the company stopped exploring activities and consented to refrain from starting similar operations in the vicinity of World Heritage sites. Virunga National Park is located in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, within the Albertine Rift Valley. Oil exploration by an English company only added to threats facing the already beleaguered park. Virunga National Park is a national park in the Albertine Rift Valley in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (US) +1 (786) 655-4040, *Call costs: Local rates apply from South Africa, UK and US otherwise international rates apply, newsletter@africageographic.com Virunga mountains in DR Congo 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. [2] It covers an area of 8,090km2 (3,120sqmi). The local community has developed negative feeling towards park personnel and the military. 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. 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. It was the first national park to be established on the continent of Africa, primarily to protect the mountain gorillas living in the forests of the Virunga Massif. Important Facts About the Virunga Mountains in East Africa Where Are The Virunga Mountains Located - 2022 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. Of its eight major volcanic peaks, the highest is Karisimbi, at 14,787 feet (4,507 metres). Virunga National Park is one of the five UNESCO protected areas that fall under the jurisdiction of the ICCN. [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. Explore Virunga national park, the gem of biodiversity in Congo 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. Flora/Vegatation in Virunga national park - Gorilla Safari Tours Still, military and rebel forces remain in eastern Congo and continue fighting as well as poaching and cutting down trees. [12] Local and global groups, such as Greenpeace, are warning about the social and ecological impact of devastating the forest for oil production. Carefully selected conservation projects one-stop, seamless, transparent donations APP subscribers only. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Key Information. Throw in nocturnal displays of volcanic ambivalence, and the Virunga experience is far beyond the average escape from the humdrum of city life it is an exhilarating embrace of everything that makes Africa truly wild. Shoebills prefer to hunt in poorly oxygenated and shallow waters where fish are closer to the surface, using their razor sharp beaks to catch their prey. 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 name "Virunga" is an English version of the Kinyarwanda word ibirunga, which means "volcanoes". The national park's central sector encompasses about two thirds of Lake Edward up to the international border with Uganda in the east. Virunga has the highest number of amphibian species in the Albertine Rift, an area which encompasses parts of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania. UNESCO designated the park a World Heritage site in 1979, and it was placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1994, because of the growth of permanent settlements within the park and the influx of a great number of refugees fleeing war in neighbouring Rwanda. Situated in a region which has been deeply impacted by the effects of war and armed conflict for over 20 years, Virunga is currently protected by a dedicated team of 689 Rangers. One of Africas most spectacular protected areas. [51][52][53] Other ungulates present include Ugandan kob (Kobus kob thomasi), waterbuck (K. ellipsiprymnus), andcommon warthog (Phacochoerus africanus). Geography of Rwanda - Wikipedia 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. 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. 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. The Virunga Mountains | Congo Safari Tours | Explore Congo The mountain range consists of eight major volcanoes. The name Virunga comes from the Kinyarwanda word ibirunga, which means volcanoes. 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. The world population of mountain gorillas is currently estimated to be at around 1000 individuals. The Rwenzori Mountains National Park covers nearly 100,000 ha in western Uganda and comprises the main part of the Rwenzori mountain chain, which includes Africa's third highest peak (Mount Margherita: 5,109 m). 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). Located in East Africa, the Virunga Mountains are a series of volcanoes that extends along northern part of Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Uganda. The Virunga Mountains in Volcanoes Park. The six volcanoes of the centre and east are extinct. The Parks 3,000 square miles (7,800 square kilometers) is comprised of four sectors northern, central, southern and lake sector each with an unrivaled diversity of landscapes and ecosystems. 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. Farther north are the Rutshuru Falls and the Mai ya Moto sulfur springs. [5], In 1979, the National Park was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its rich diversity of habitats, exceptional biodiversity and endemism, and its protection of rare mountain gorilla habitat. Of these, nine gorilla families have been carefully habituated over the last thirty years. 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. The southern sector borders Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park. It is . In addition to buffalo, the plains support several ungulates, including topi, Ugandan kob, waterbuck, warthog, and red river and giant forest hog. In 1969, following the countrys independence from Belgium in 1960, the Park was renamed Virunga National Park. 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. Chattering troops of flamboyant eastern black-and-white colobus monkeys frequent the lodges while the booming calls of De Brazzas monkeys echo through the valleys. 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. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 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). ceo@africageographic.com, Travel & conservation company, since 1991,
, The oldest national park in Africa, Virunga National Park covers nearly 8,000km. [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. [47] A land of unparalleled biodiversity and exceptional beauty, bursting with life of every form. The Virunga Mountains rise out of densely populated plateaus that are inhabited mostly by Rwandan cultivators and, in certain areas, by cattle herders. [36] Since beginning of the armed conflict, armed groups killed 175 park rangers until April 2018. The Park is founded as Parc Albert, the first national park to be established on the African continent. editors@africageographic.com [8][9], There have been plans to drill for oil in the Congo Basin since the 2000s. The northern sector receives a monthly mean precipitation of up to 220mm (8.7in), and the southern sector of up to 160mm (6.3in). The Grauers gorillas consist of a handful of individuals isolated to the inaccessible Mount Tshiabirimu region of the park. [44] 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, 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. Updates? In the west, Nyamulagira, Nyiragongo, and Mikeno are in Congo; Karisimbiat 14,787 feet the highest of the Virunga volcanoesand Visoke are centrally placed on the Congo-Rwanda frontier; and farther east Sabinio (Sabinyo), Mgahinga (Gahinga), and Muhavura, also known as the Mufumbiro Mountains, are . Virungas most prominent mammals include forest and savanna elephants, hippos, okapis, lions and mountain gorillas. Preventing these plans the park gained further protection by an agreement sealed between DRCs president Felix Tshisekedi and Boris Johnson at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. The Virunga Mountains: 8 Related Volcanoes - Uganda Safaris The Virunga Mountains lie between Lakes Kivu and Edward and extend into Rwanda and Uganda. Andre Bauma is the manager of the Senkwekwe Center and heads up the team of dedicated carers responsible for looking after the Center's orphaned mountain gorillas. On any given day, its shores abound with hippos, elephants, crocodiles, and chimpanzees. The ICCN (Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature) is the branch of the Congolese government tasked with the protection and conservation of protected areas in the DRC. Senecio and Lobelia species grow on vast clearings and attain heights of up to 8m (26ft). 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. The northern sector is characterised by the dramatic Rwenzori Mountains, with sharp peaks and plunging valleys that descend to the Semuliki River valley. This powerful image of the silverback Senkwekwe brought global attention to this horrific event. Between the early 1930s and 1961, several expeditions to Albert National Park were carried out by Belgian scientists, the second headed by Gaston-Franois de Witte. 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. 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. This may also be done to protect the highly susceptible apes from human diseases like Covid-19. 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. At 26,338 square kilometres (10,169 sq mi), Rwanda is the world's 149th-largest country. 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. To find lodges, search for our ready-made packages or get in touch with our travel team, scroll down to after this story. They have significantly shaped the national park's diverse habitats and wildlife. Virunga National Park - Africa Geographic While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The range runs east-west, perpendicular to the rift valley in which lie Lakes Kivu and Edward. The Virunga chained mountains, also known as the Virunga Massif, offer unique experiences to tourists in Africa. Notable species include the prehistoric-looking shoebills, dashing Rwenzori turacos, mind-blowingly cryptic African green broadbills, and bizarre red-collared mountain babblers whose closest relative forages the slopes of Mt Jupe in Cameroon. In the course of increasing tensions, the park's chief warden, Emmanuel de Mrode, was assailed in April 2014. Nyiragongo has erupted over thirty times since the end of the 19. century. 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. Virunga National Park is placed on the list of endangered World Heritage sites. Not more than 20,000 years ago Nyiragongo and Nyamulagira emerged at the western end of the chain, both with extensive craters. The lake lies over 3000 feet (916 meters) above sea level and covers a surface area of 224,083 hectares, making it the 15th largest lake in Africa. (RSA) +27 (87) 551-8105 The great volcanoes of this range, clothed in cloud forests, include the dormant Mikeno, Karisimbi, Visoke, and Sabinio (Sabinyo), as well as the active Nyiragongo and Nyamulagira. [31], Since the early 1990s, the protected area was impacted by political turmoil in the African Great Lakes region.
where are the virunga mountains located