Admin Table of Contents
When did Virunga become a national park?
1925
03. Virunga National Park was founded in 1925 as Albert National Park. 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.
Why is Virunga so important?
Virunga National Park is unique with its active chain of volcanoes and rich diversity of habitats that surpass those of any other African park. The wide diversity of habitats produces exceptional biodiversity, notably endemic species and rare and globally threatened species such as the mountain gorilla.
Do people live in Virunga National Park?
A refuge for gorillas The most famous residents of Virunga National Park are critically endangered mountain gorillas, of which only 880 individuals remain in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda.
What ape species lives in Virunga National Park?
Created in 1925, Virunga National Park is Africa’s oldest national park and the only protected area on Earth that is home to three taxa of great ape: Eastern Chimpanzees, Eastern Lowland Gorillas and — Virunga’s most famous residents — about one-third of all remaining Mountain Gorillas.
Who owns Virunga National Park?
Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature
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….
| Virunga National Park | |
|---|---|
| Area | 7,768.93 km2 (2,999.60 sq mi) |
| Established | April 1925 |
| Governing body | Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature |
| Website | virunga.org |
What is the oldest National Park in Africa?
Virunga
The Battle for Virunga, Africa’s Oldest National Park.
What animals live in the Virunga Mountains?
The park is home to abundant wildlife, including elephants, whose numbers began decreasing in the late 20th century, and lions, which also face various threats. Hippopotamuses, rare mountain gorillas, okapis, antelope, warthogs, and pelicans all live in Virunga as well.
What is Virunga Massive?
The Virunga Mountains (also known as Mufumbiro) are a chain of volcanoes in East Africa, along the northern border of Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Uganda. The oldest mountain is Mount Sabyinyo, which rises 3,634 metres (11,923 ft) above sea level.
Which African country has the most wildlife?
Tanzania
All of this supports the greatest wildlife quantities in all of Africa. With an estimated 4 million wild animals, Tanzania is home to the continent’s largest populations of many safari species, such as lions.
Which African country has the most lions?
TANZANIA
TANZANIA has the largest number of lions compared to other African countries, a new report says. There are estimated to be between 14,000 and 15,000 lions in the country today, thanks to an extensive network of protected areas in form of national parks, game reserves which form at least 300,000 square kilometres.
What happened to Emmanuel de Merode?
His work was primarily in the parks of eastern DRC, working to sustain the national parks through the DRC’s 20-year civil war. He now lives at the park headquarters in Rumangabo, bordering the park’s mountain gorilla sector.