VIRUNGA NATIONAL PARK IN CONGO - HOME TO MOUNTAIN GORILLAS

Virunga National park is located in the Virunga Mountains in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo boarder, covering an area of 7800Sq Km. The park boarders Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Mgahinga national park in Uganda, covering the western shores of Lake Edward, and stretching from Virunga mountains to Rwenzori Mountains on the Eastern DR Congo boarder and is dominated by marshland, grassland plateau and plains. Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira are also active Volcanoes that form part of the National park.

Established in 1925, it was the first national park in Africa, and was classified as a Heritage site in 1979 and is named after the Virunga Mountains. It is now best known for being a home to the world’s remaining endangered mountain gorillas.
The park has a diversity of wildlife, with many bird, mammal and reptile species than any other protected area on the continent! Animals include elephants, buffalos, giraffes, Okapi, hippopotamuses and many more. Some of the bird species are endemic to the park, which makes it a special park form other national parks.

However, the park was threatened by human activity like poaching, cultivation, deforestation by charcoal burners, and the civil war by the rebels, which threaten the life of most animals and were facing extinction. But with the renewed peace in the region, the game rangers were trained and put on the national park to guard against poachers.

The National park now is famous for the Mountain Gorillas with a highest concentration of the Gorillas. It has six groups of the habituated gorillas; KWITONDA group (8 per day visitors), MAPUA group (8 visitors per day), RUGENDO group (6 visitors per day), KABIRIZI group (8 visitors per day), MUNYAGA group (6 visitors per day), HUMBA group (8 visitors per day.)

The park is under the management of Congolese National Park Authorities with funding from the European Union.
Activities in the park include Mountain Gorilla tracking, birding, and volcano hiking, though Gorilla tracking is the most activity done in the park.

Congo safari packages

3 Days Gorilla tracking safari in DR Congo
3 Days Gorillas & Nyiragongo Volcano hiking
4 Days Gorilla Safari Holidays in Virunga
4 Days Lowland gorilla Safari in Congo
6 Days Lowland & Highland Gorilla Tour