Parco Nazionale di Kahuzi-Biéga (sito naturale): l’ultima roccaforte del gorilla di Grauer
Fra due vulcani spenti, nelle foreste pluviali dell’est del Congo, vive il più grande dei primati: il gorilla di pianura orientale, o gorilla di Grauer. Il Parco di Kahuzi-Biéga, che prende nome dai due monti Kahuzi e Biéga, è uno degli ultimi rifugi di questo gigante gentile, sempre più minacciato.
At a glance
Kahuzi-Biéga National Park, in the South Kivu region of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, protects a vast area of rainforest between two extinct volcanoes, Mount Kahuzi and Mount Biéga, that give it its name. It is one of the last strongholds of the Grauer’s gorilla (the eastern lowland gorilla), the largest of all primates, alongside a wealth of other forest wildlife. Threatened by conflict, mining and poaching, it has spent years on the danger list. It was inscribed by UNESCO in 1980.
Key facts
- UNESCO: World Heritage since 1980 (Kahuzi-Biéga National Park)
- Grauer’s gorilla: a stronghold of the largest of all primates
- Two volcanoes: Mount Kahuzi and Mount Biéga
- Rainforest: from mountain to lowland tropical forest
- Rich wildlife: forest elephants, chimpanzees and many birds
- On the danger list: threatened by conflict, mining and poaching
History
The park was created to protect the eastern lowland (Grauer’s) gorilla, a subspecies found only in this part of the Congo, and the diverse rainforests in which it lives, ranging from the high slopes of the two volcanoes down to lowland forest. Pioneering conservation work here made some gorilla groups accustomed to human visitors, allowing tourism and research.
Like neighbouring Virunga, Kahuzi-Biéga has suffered greatly from the wars and instability of the eastern Congo, with poaching, illegal mining and the presence of armed groups taking a heavy toll on its gorillas and elephants. It has been listed as World Heritage in Danger, while rangers and communities work to protect what remains.
What you see
When conditions allow, visitors trek through the dense forest to observe habituated groups of Grauer’s gorillas, and walk trails on the slopes of Mount Kahuzi and Mount Biéga through bamboo and mountain forest rich in birds and other primates. The misty, green volcanic landscape is striking in itself.
The encounter with the great gorillas in their forest home is the heart of a visit to Kahuzi-Biéga.
Practical information
- Park: gorilla trekking when security permits
- Note: access depends on the security situation; check current advice
- Time needed: one to two days
- Setting: in South Kivu, near Bukavu, eastern DR Congo
Getting there
Kahuzi-Biéga is in South Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, near the city of Bukavu on Lake Kivu. Access depends on the security situation. GPS: 2.31° S, 28.75° E.
Nearby
- Bukavu — the lakeside city and gateway
- Lake Kivu — the great lake to the east
- Virunga — the older UNESCO park to the north
Sources
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre — “Kahuzi-Biéga National Park” (ref. 137)
- ICCN (DR Congo) — official body
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Kahuzi-Biega National Park
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