where are the virunga mountains located

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. A land of unparalleled biodiversity and exceptional beauty, bursting with life of every form. 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. 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). At 14,557 feet (4,437 meters) Mount Mikeno is the second highest peak in the Virunga mountains and the 13th highest mountain of Africa. The mountain range is a branch of the Albertine Rift Mountains, which border the western branch of the East African Rift. The increased human population contributed to deforestation and poaching, and some natural animal migration patterns have been seriously disrupted. Marked the end of the M23 war, and tourism is officially relauched in the Park after being forced to close for almost two years. However, taking one taxing step at a time has paid off. [46] Virunga National Park, formerly Albert National Park, park in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa). In the course of increasing tensions, the park's chief warden, Emmanuel de Mrode, was assailed in April 2014. The female, with a wingspan of up to 8 feet (2.4 meters), is larger than the male. Virunga is the continent's most biologically diverse protected area and a national park embarking on an ambitious development programme known as the "Virunga Alliance". 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. 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. 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. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Virunga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mountain gorillas aside, Virungas great ape collection also includes eastern lowland gorillas (Grauers gorillas Gorilla beringei graueri) and chimpanzees. Virunga is the continent's most biologically diverse protected area and a national park embarking on an ambitious development programme known as the "Virunga Alliance". These savannas and woodlands contain many different types of grasses and trees. Oil exploration by an English company only added to threats facing the already beleaguered park. Every morning, rangers set out at the crack of dawn to track down and monitor their charges, and by the time guests have stirred and downed their first coffee, many families have already been located. The word Virunga is and English word derived from Kinyarwanda word "Ibirunga" to meat "Mountains" 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. The park is periodically closed when they feel that the situation on the ground is such that security cannot be guaranteed. Here, Virunga reaches Lake Kivu and borders Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Mgahinga National Park in Uganda. [50] The human population there, which was negligible when the park was established, increased considerably during the late 20th century. [15], Virunga National Park's faunal species include 196 mammals, 706 bird species, 109 reptiles and 65 amphibians as of 2012. The lava field of these two volcanoes has remained active, with notable eruptions occurring in 1912, 1938, 1948, the 1970s, and 2002. It is headed by Andr Bauma, a man who has become almost as famous as his gorilla charges. The, However, this is no idle volcano. Photo credit: Greg Homel/Natural Encounters Birding, Photo credit: Brad Clement/Spindrift Adventures, Virungas Rangers are awarded National Geographic Explorer of the Year, The mountain gorilla population is no longer critically endangered, All militia groups removed from Central Sector. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 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. The orphanage is named for a silverback killed in a devastating poaching incident in 2007 that claimed the lives of seven members of the Rugendo family. The Virunga Mountains that mark the southern sector of the park consist of eight major volcanoes, most of which are dormant. [32] [8][9], There have been plans to drill for oil in the Congo Basin since the 2000s. Only 629 hippos remain in the Park, a 98% decrease from the 30,000 of the 1960s and 1970s. Nyamuragira is a high-potassium basaltic shield volcano with an elevation of 10,033 feet (3,058 meters). [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. [7] About 850,000 refugees lived around the national park in 1994. The Karisoke Research Center, founded by Dian Fossey to observe gorillas in their native habitat, is located between Mount Karisimbi and Mount Bisoke. However, extraordinary doesnt even begin to cover it. The Park is founded as Parc Albert, the first national park to be established on the African continent. Habituation is a critical component of gorilla conservation, as it allows for detailed research to be undertaken on the species. 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. The Parks governance structure is strengthened, and newly appointed staff negotiate access to the gorilla sector despite it being controlled by rebels. 2003). 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). Alongside this essential conservation work, the Park is committed to supporting local communities. Okapis are shy and solitary animals that resemble zebras but are more closely related to the giraffe and are endemic to the DRC. The most recent eruption occurred in 2021 and had catastrophic consequences for the human residents of the city of Goma. The UK oil company Soco announces that it will not renew its claim to an oil concession in Virunga National Park. Farther north are the Rutshuru Falls and the Mai ya Moto sulfur springs. Mount Mikeno is an extinct volcano located in the Virunga Mountains. These ranges consist of eight major volcanoes in Uganda, Congo with five of them located in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park. In 2008, the Congolese National Parks Authority, (Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature, ICCN), and the Virunga Foundation (then known as the Africa Conservation Foundation), entered into a partnership to manage the Park. [51][52][53] Other ungulates present include Ugandan kob (Kobus kob thomasi), waterbuck (K. ellipsiprymnus), andcommon warthog (Phacochoerus africanus). The Foundation holds the management contract for the Park, which requires it to restore and manage the national park with ICCN. 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. Both savanna elephants and forest elephants reside in Virunga National Park, making it one of the few places in the world where both species co-exist. Virunga has a vision for responsibly harnessing the Parks natural resources to create new opportunities for the four million people that live within a days walk of its borders. 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. 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. [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). Furthermore, a substantial number of these are Albertine Rift and Congolese endemics. 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). 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. In 1926, Derscheid headed the first Belgian mission to map Albert National Park, which encompassed an area of 500km2 (190sqmi) around the extinct volcanoes Mount Karisimbi and Mount Mikeno. Today, they are probably the parks most famous residents. Mount Karisimbi is the highest volcano at 4,507 metres (14,787ft). The okapi is the closest known relative to the giraffe and looks very much as though someone crossed a zebra, antelope, and giraffe. Several armed rebel groups operate in the park, including Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda and National Congress for the Defence of the People (FDLR). All travel bookings booked via Trust my Travel are financially protected by them. Conservation protects the mountains alpine vegetation, as well as wildlife that includes the golden monkey and the mountain gorilla. 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. Oil exploration threatens the Park, sparking deep concerns from the international community. 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. [3][47] [34], Five rangers were killed in August 2017 near Lake Edward in a militia attack. 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 plains of Virunga National Park are dominated by wetlands and grasslands with papyrus sedge (Cyperus papyrus), jointed flatsedge (C. articulatus), common reed (Phragmites mauritanica), sacaton grasses (Sporobolus consimilis), ambatch (Aeschynomene elaphroxylon), conkerberry (Carissa spinarum), paperbark thorn (Vachellia sieberiana) and kowai fruit (Coccinia grandis). Learn more about Dodo Bahati, a project supporting anti-poaching efforts in Virunga National Park. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Virunga National Park is one of the five UNESCO protected areas that fall under the jurisdiction of the ICCN. In elevation, it ranges from 680 m (2,230 ft) in the Semliki River valley to 5,109 m (16,762 ft) in the Rwenzori Mountains.From north to south it extends approximately 300 km (190 mi), largely along the international borders with Uganda and . Omissions? Virunga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Still, military and rebel forces remain in eastern Congo and continue fighting as well as poaching and cutting down trees. They are located between Lake Edward and Lake Kivu. Poaching intensifies and continues to impact the Park for several years. [56], Of the Albertine Rift's endemic birds, Rwenzori turaco, Rwenzori batis, Archer's ground robin, red-throated alethe, Kivu ground thrush, collared apalis, mountain masked apalis, dusky crimson-wing, Shelley's crimsonwing, red-faced woodland warbler, stripe-breasted tit, blue-headed sunbird, regal sunbird, Rwenzori double-collared sunbird, handsome spurfowl and strange weaver were recorded in Virunga National Park's southern sector during surveys in 2004. The oldest mountain is Mount Sabyinyo, which rises 3,634 metres (11,923ft) above sea level. Others include Karisimbi - the highest at 4,507m, Bisoke and Sabyinyo in Rwanda, Gahinga and Muhabura in Uganda and Mikemo in DRC. 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). Networking & debating APP subscribers only, TRUSTED CONSERVATION PROJECTS Several were observed at the northern shore of Lake Edwards in 1988 for the first time. 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. Virunga Mountain ranges consists of Unique and finest wildlife attractions of Africa which ranges from the; north Western Rwanda covering Volcanoes National park, Eastern side is Congo covering a fraction of Virunga National Park, and South Western Uganda covering Mgahinga National park. Average temperatures in lower altitudes vary from 2328C (7382F), and in higher altitudes from 1624C (6175F), rarely dropping below 14C (57F). Their ambitious peace-building program aims to create 100,000 jobs, providing young Congolese with viable alternatives to conflict-related activities. It reopened in February 2019. national park, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Rwanda is located in East Africa, to the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, at the co-ordinates 200S 300E . [2], In 2011, the British company Soco International was granted a concession for extracting crude oil in the surroundings of and in large parts of the national park. [45] The great blue turaco is the largest member of the turaco family. Seven mountain gorillas from the Rugendo family are murdered. [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. Of its eight major volcanic peaks, the highest is Karisimbi, at 14,787 feet (4,507 metres). The crater of Muhavura contains a small lake. Both savanna and forest buffalo are found in the park and can be found roaming the Rwindi plains in the Parks Central Sector. 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. Eastern Congo is one of the most economically disadvantaged places on earth, and competition for the Parks rich natural resources has always been fierce. Harnessed bushbuck (T. scriptus) and giant forest hog (Hylochoerus meinertzhageni) are present in the southern sector. [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. [34], These tactics, criticised as "militarization of conservation", has been blamed for further violence and dispossession faced by local indigenous people. Key Information. Over the past 20 years, Virunga has seen many periods of conflict, often beginning in or around the Park. 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. [24], In the late 1950s, Tutsi herders and their cattle entered the park, destroying natural habitat up to an altitude of 3,000m (9,800ft), which was thought to threaten the park's gorillas. Nyiragongo are rewarded with a view of the worlds largest lava lake as it churns and bubbles. Fuelled by subsistence and profit-driven poaching, rebel groups launch attacks on patrol posts in the Northern Sector of the Park. [39], In April 2020 at least 12 park rangers were killed by militia men attacking a civilian convoy. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The 2008 partnership between the Congolese National Parks Authority (ICCN) and the Virunga Foundation marked a turning point in the parks history. 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. 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. 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. [54] Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Virunga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site internationally recognized for its exceptional wildlife and habitats. On any given day, its shores abound with hippos, elephants, crocodiles, and chimpanzees. The parks southern tip rests on the northern shore of Lake Kivu, a short distance from the town of Goma to the east. To find lodges, search for our ready-made packages or get in touch with our travel team, scroll down to after this story. [5] In April, in an effort to end the war, a peace agreement is signed by government and rebel forces. [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. The first maps resulted from the major expedition of Adolf Friedrich, duke of Mecklenburg, which was undertaken in 190708. Chimpanzees are an endangered species and one of the four species of great apes. [40] Again in January 2021, armed men killed at least six rangers and wounded several others in an ambush in the national park. 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. 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. Click here to learn more about the work of the Virunga Alliance. Nyiragongo has erupted over thirty times since the end of the 19. century. The world population of mountain gorillas is currently estimated to be at around 1000 individuals.

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