African fish eagles are birds of prey that live in the waterways of sub-Saharan Africa. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/place/Virunga-Mountains, Virunga Mountains - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Virunga Mountains - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). The Virunga Mountains (Virunga massif/Virunga ranges) is a block of Chain Mountains found in East - central Africa. 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. 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. Five rangers and a driver were killed in April 2018. The park is periodically closed when they feel that the situation on the ground is such that security cannot be guaranteed. With a checklist of 706 different species, there are more birds in Virunga than in the entire United States of America. The local community has developed negative feeling towards park personnel and the military. 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 Park is founded as Parc Albert, the first national park to be established on the African continent. Hippo numbers increase to over 2000 for the first time in 20 years. The northern sector receives a monthly mean precipitation of up to 220mm (8.7in), and the southern sector of up to 160mm (6.3in). 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. Corrections? This powerful image of the silverback Senkwekwe brought global attention to this horrific event. The northern sector is characterised by the dramatic Rwenzori Mountains, with sharp peaks and plunging valleys that descend to the Semuliki River valley. The ICCN (Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature). 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. 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. Modern access to the western volcanoes is from Goma and Gisenyi (Rwanda); the remaining mountains are located within the circuit of roads connecting Goma and Rutshuru (Congo), Kisoro (Uganda), and Ruhengeri and Gisenyi (Rwanda). The okapi is the closest known relative to the giraffe and looks very much as though someone crossed a zebra, antelope, and giraffe. 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. Around one third of the world population of critically endangered mountain gorillas live in the lush volcanic forests of Virunga National Park. The Virunga chained Mountains cover three African countries, including the southwestern of Uganda, which covers Mgahinga Gorilla National Park; the Democratic Republic of Congo in the east, covering the Virunga national park, and Rwanda covering the Volcanoes National park. 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. Ultra-luxury is not the order of the day in Virunga, but there are high-end accommodation options, and all the camps are comfortable. [5], Primates present in the national park include mountain gorilla (G. b. beringei), common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), golden monkey, red-tailed monkey (Cercopithecus ascanius), Dent's mona monkey (C. denti), blue monkey (C. mitis), Hamlyn's monkey (C. hamlyni), De Brazza's monkey (C. neglectus), Central African red colobus (Procolobus foai), mantled guereza (Colobus guereza), olive baboon (Papio anubis) and grey-cheeked mangabey (Lophocebus albigena). The Mountain Gorillas of Virunga National Park. According to a 2010 report by the United Nations Security Council, 80% of the charcoal consumed by the city of Goma is sourced from the park, representing an annual value of US$2830 million. Alongside this essential conservation work, the Park is committed to supporting local communities. The southern sector stretches to the shores of Lake Kivu and encompasses Nyamulagira, Nyiragongo and Mikeno volcanoes with montane forests on their slopes. The crater of Muhavura contains a small lake. During the 2002 eruption, some of Nyiragongos lava flows were clocked at 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) and reached all the way to Lake Kivu. A conflict between rebel and army forces results in the untimely death of the silverback of the Rugendo family. The southern sector borders Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park. The park also encompasses savannas, peat bogs, marshes, lava plains, eastern steppe vegetation, and various types of forests, including tropical rainforest and bamboo. Of the population, 12,000 reside in South Africa and 18,000 in East Africa. The Virunga Mountains that mark the southern sector of the park consist of eight major volcanoes, most of which are dormant. Photo Galleries, Photographer of the Year, TRAVEL & CONSERVATION COMPANY The vegetation above 2,600m (8,500ft) is subalpine with foremost African redwood (Hagenia abyssinica) growing up to 3,000m (9,800ft). Campaigners trying to create public awareness are threatened and intimidated on social media. [44] In 1969, following the countrys independence from Belgium in 1960, the Park was renamed Virunga National Park. The ICCN and Virunga Foundation enter into a long term management agreement. Explore one of the most biodiverse protected areas in the world. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The crowned crane stands at over 3 feet (1 meter) tall, with predominantly grey plumage, white and black wings, a bright red gular pouch, and a crown of golden feathers. In the course of increasing tensions, the park's chief warden, Emmanuel de Mrode, was assailed in April 2014. 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. 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). 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. 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. 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. However, taking one taxing step at a time has paid off. The Virunga Mountains and their associated lava flows extend across the Western Rift Valley. 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. On any given day, its shores abound with hippos, elephants, crocodiles, and chimpanzees. [43], Virunga National Park is located in the Congo Nile watershed area. The Rwandan genocide causes nearly two million refugees to flee the country. Virunga National Park is one of the five UNESCO protected areas that fall under the jurisdiction of the ICCN. More than 3,000 faunal and floral species have been recorded, of which more than 300 are endemic to the Albertine Rift including eastern gorilla (Gorilla beringei) and golden monkey (Cercopithecus kandti). Here, Virunga reaches Lake Kivu and borders Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Mgahinga National Park in Uganda. Today, they are probably the parks most famous residents. Regional conflict spills over and an estimated 5.6 million Congolese die from the fighting. In April, in an effort to end the war, a peace agreement is signed by government and rebel forces. 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. [34], Efforts at nature conservation have had contradictory effects, for example when farms were destroyed within Kibirizi, and soldiers and park guards were sent in to patrol, people migrated even further within the park to land controlled by the FDLR, where they could rent small plots of land. Virunga owes its existence, at least in part, to the presence of the endangered (, . 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. Virunga is the continents most biologically diverse protected area and a national park embarking on an ambitious development programme known as the Virunga Alliance. Baumas love for his primate family endeared him to the audiences of the Oscar-nominated film, Virunga. African alpine bamboo (Yushania alpina) grows at altitudes of 2,3002,600m (7,5008,500ft). Virunga is an English derived word from its origin word "ibirunga" (comes . We rely on Global Rescue to assist our clients. There are an estimated 30,000 individuals left in the wild. 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. 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. Flora/Vegatation in Virunga national park; Virunga's strategic location at the frontier between various biogeographic zones offers it an upper hand to protect both tropical rainforest and eastern steppe species and its range of altitudes adds to the habitat variety.The diversity in flora includes: bamboo and Hagenia forest on the mountains; equatorial forest along the Semiliki; wooded . [4] The Foundation holds the management contract for the Park, which requires it to restore and manage the national park with ICCN. It is Virunga National Park in DRC, and it is remarkable. As might be expected in a park that encompasses such a large variety of habitats, the birding can be described as extraordinary. The increased human population contributed to deforestation and poaching, and some natural animal migration patterns have been seriously disrupted. [47] They are solitary creatures who remain isolated except when threatened or breeding. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Virunga National Park, formerly Albert National Park, park in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa). Geography of Rwanda. [5] Communities around Lake Edward are fearful of the impact of potential oil activity on their livelihoods. 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. Each offers a different view of the lush vegetation and exquisite vistas. Harnessed bushbuck (T. scriptus) and giant forest hog (Hylochoerus meinertzhageni) are present in the southern sector. The Parks governance structure is strengthened, and newly appointed staff negotiate access to the gorilla sector despite it being controlled by rebels. (800,000 hectares) an area roughly three times the size of Luxembourg. The, However, this is no idle volcano. The world population of mountain gorillas is currently estimated to be at around 1000 individuals. 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. However, extraordinary doesnt even begin to cover it. 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. ceo@africageographic.com, Travel & conservation company, since 1991, , The oldest national park in Africa, Virunga National Park covers nearly 8,000km. Shoebills can be found in the swamps and marshes of Virungas Central Sector near Lake Edward, the Ishasha River, and the Rwindi River. The great blue turaco is the largest member of the turaco family. Oil exploration threatens the Park, sparking deep concerns from the international community. Rwanda is located in East Africa, to the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, at the co-ordinates 200S 300E . 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. [19], In 1934, the Institut des Parcs Nationaux du Congo Belge was founded as the governing body for national parks in the Belgian Congo. [37] In May 2018, a ranger was killed when defending two tourists who were kidnapped. 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. 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. [7] About 850,000 refugees lived around the national park in 1994. 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. Average temperatures in lower altitudes vary from 2328C (7382F), and in higher altitudes from 1624C (6175F), rarely dropping below 14C (57F). As a consequence, the park remained closed to visitors from June 2018[38] until February 2019. The mountain range is a branch of the Albertine Rift Mountains, which border the western branch of the East African Rift. 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. 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. Both state security services and such groups also resort to armed robberies and kidnapping for income. / 2.000S 30.000E / -2.000; 30.000. 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. Virunga National Park is home to around a third of those gorillas, which reside in the dense forests on the lush slopes of the Virunga volcanoes. Omissions? Corrections? Government officials supported exploration activities by Soco International mission members, whereas park management opposed. The mountain gorilla is taken off the IUCN critically endangered species list, marking a victory for Congolese, Rwandan and Ugandan National Parks. 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. 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. Shoebills are tall, stork-like birds with wing spans that can reach over 8 feet (2.4 meters). 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 . is the branch of the Congolese government tasked with the protection and conservation of protected areas in the DRC. Later in the Pleistocene (about 900,000 to 130,000 years ago), Karisimbi, Visoke, Mgahinga, and Muhavura appeared, all but Karisimbi possessing a crater summit.
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