where are the virunga mountains located

The human population there, which was negligible when the park was established, increased considerably during the late 20th century. However, another creature is arguably Virungas (and Africas) most peculiar offering. The Rwenzori Mountains National Park covers nearly 100,000 ha in western Uganda and comprises the main part of the Rwenzori mountain chain, which includes Africa's third highest peak (Mount Margherita: 5,109 m). This innovative, community focussed approach to conservation is working to reduce the pressures currently faced by the Parks Rangers from armed groups, illegal poaching, and land encroachment. Campaigners trying to create public awareness are threatened and intimidated on social media. Virunga National Park, DRC The mountains are part of the Albertine rift located at the Great Rift Valley one of the world's largest natural features. Which mountain in Uganda has snow? - 2023 Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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. In 1969, following the countrys independence from Belgium in 1960, the Park was renamed Virunga National Park. Illegal hunting inside protected areas increased. Here dedicated keepers have raised the young survivors of anthropogenic cruelty (poaching and snaring), as well as rehabilitating eastern lowland gorillas. This partnership initiated a comprehensive reform program and planted the seed for what would become the Virunga Alliance an innovative development programme to address the root causes of poverty and conflict, with the aim of eradicating illegal and destructive resource extraction in the region. This variation is determined by a number of factors such as the soil type, soil depth, animals and invertebrates in the area, and minerals within the soil. [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 most visited section is the southern sector, dominated by dense montane forests home to a vital population of Africas remaining mountain gorillas. [26] Park personnel are given paramilitary training and high-quality weaponry, and operate together with the military and state security services. A land of unparalleled biodiversity and exceptional beauty, bursting with life of every form. Virunga is a biodiversity spectacle but is also a testament to the courage of those that have fought and often given their lives in its defence. [15], Virunga National Park's faunal species include 196 mammals, 706 bird species, 109 reptiles and 65 amphibians as of 2012. Disorder spreads across the Park's Southern Sector. Up to 40,000 people entered the park daily in search of firewood and food, and deforested huge areas. Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda Parc National Des Volcans Guide While sightings of these animal oddities in Virunga are few and far between, they were spotted in the northern sector before the arrival of the militia. Two active volcanoes are located in the park, Mount Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira. The volcanos forested lower slopes are home to a variety of animals, including chimpanzees, monkeys, and bushbuck. Virunga Mountains: The stunning Virunga Mountains are a chain of Volcano Mountains shared between Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. The grey crowned crane can be found in the wetlands, open grasslands, savannas, and cultivated areas and tropical lowland forests near the Ishasha River and Rwindi River. [40] Again in January 2021, armed men killed at least six rangers and wounded several others in an ambush in the national park. [41][42], On 22 February 2021, Italy's ambassador to the DRC who was travelling with the World Food Programme about 15km north of Goma, Luca Attanasio, as well as Italian military police officer Vittorio Iacovacci and Congolese driver Moustapha Milambo, were killed in the gunfire when a militia that had kidnapped their convoy, and had brought them into the park, was met by park rangers who managed to free four people. Harnessed bushbuck (T. scriptus) and giant forest hog (Hylochoerus meinertzhageni) are present in the southern sector. Okapis are shy and solitary animals that resemble zebras but are more closely related to the giraffe and are endemic to the DRC. This helps to increase understanding of mountain gorilla behaviour, as well as allowing veterinary teams to intervene if gorillas are injured or showing signs of ill health. He even attended the Oscars ceremony in Los Angeles. The First and Second Congo Wars further destabilised the region. [15], Virunga National Park's flora encompasses 2,077 plant species, including 264 tree species and 230 plants that are endemic to the Albertine Rift. Virunga Mountains: A gem of biodiversity in the heart of Africa The female, with a wingspan of up to 8 feet (2.4 meters), is larger than the male. The word Virunga is got from a local word "Ibirunga* the Kinyarwanda word for "mountains". 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. Like humans, chimps communicate with facial expressions, gestures, and sounds. VN QUC GIA CONGO Ting anh l g - trong Ting anh Dch 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). (800,000 hectares) an area roughly three times the size of Luxembourg. Most visitors access the park via Rwanda and pass through the border at Goma. 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. The name "Virunga" is an English version of the Kinyarwanda word ibirunga, which means "volcanoes". The 8 Virunga Volcano Mountains: The Virunga is a chain of Volcanic Mountains in East Africa that's shared between Uganda, Rwanda and DRC. [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. The Centre is the only one of its kind in the world. This may also be done to protect the highly susceptible apes from human diseases like Covid-19. 2003). The Virunga Mountains that mark the southern sector of the park consist of eight major volcanoes, most of which are dormant. [4] Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The range runs east-west, perpendicular to the rift valley in which lie Lakes Kivu and Edward. To comment on this story: Download our app here - it's a troll-free safe place . Many lesser cones flank the major volcanoes. [45], The climate in the Albertine Rift is influenced by the movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone and the El NioSouthern Oscillation. The Parks governance structure is strengthened, and newly appointed staff negotiate access to the gorilla sector despite it being controlled by rebels. [7] About 850,000 refugees lived around the national park in 1994. There are an estimated 30,000 individuals left in the wild. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/place/Virunga-National-Park, UNESCO World Heritage Centre - Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa). Though there are innumerable reasons to want to visit Virunga National Park, the potential insecurity in the region is of concern to many prospective visitors. The most recent eruption occurred in 2021 and had catastrophic consequences for the human residents of the city of Goma. They studied and collected zoological specimens of wildlife for the Muse Royal d'Histoire Naturelle de Belgique;[20][21] explored the ethnic groups in this area;[22] studied volcanic activity,[23] and fossils. Updates? Baumas love for his primate family endeared him to the audiences of the Oscar-nominated film, Virunga. Virunga is the only site on earth to have three types of great apes the mountain gorilla, eastern lowland gorilla, and eastern chimpanzee. Virunga is the continents most biologically diverse protected area and a national park embarking on an ambitious development programme known as the Virunga Alliance. This sight is at its most impressive at night, so most opt to camp on the rim of the crater. Take a Thrilling Adventure in Uganda Hiking the Sabyinyo Volcano The park is periodically closed when they feel that the situation on the ground is such that security cannot be guaranteed. 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. It is headed by Andr Bauma, a man who has become almost as famous as his gorilla charges. [2] It covers an area of 8,090km2 (3,120sqmi). Flora/Vegatation in Virunga national park - Gorilla Safari Tours [13], In the early 1920s, several proponents of the European conservation movement championed the idea of creating a protected area in northeastern Belgian Congo, among them Victor van Straelen, Jean Massart and Jean-Marie Derscheid. Virunga Mountains The name Virunga comes from the Kinyarwanda word ibirunga, which means volcanoes. 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. [26] There are a couple of different lodges scattered throughout the park, and the choice of activity (gorilla treks, Lava treks up Nyiragongo, game drives and so on) will determine the best place to stay. Regional conflict spills over and an estimated 5.6 million Congolese die from the fighting. It is also a vital elephant habitat, as evidenced by the unexpected migration of nearly 600 elephants from neighbouring Queen Elizabeth at the end of 2020. The vegetation above 2,600m (8,500ft) is subalpine with foremost African redwood (Hagenia abyssinica) growing up to 3,000m (9,800ft). The endangered Rwenzori duiker or Rwenzori red duiker is a stocky, small antelope endemic to the alpine zones of the Rwenzori mountains. Together, these three protected areas form the core of the Greater Virunga Ecosystem. However, taking one taxing step at a time has paid off. Albertine Rift - Wikipedia [7], After the Second Congo War was over, confrontations between park personnel and rebel groups continued; 80 park staff were killed between 1996 and 2003. Mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) are a subspecies of the critically endangered eastern gorilla, and there are believed to be just over 1,000 remaining. The Virunga Mountains: 8 Related Volcanoes - Uganda Safaris The southern sector borders Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park. National park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mammals photographed in Virunga National Park, African bush elephant and African buffaloes, Settlements at the edge of the Nyiragongo crater, Ethnic groups in and around Virunga National Park, Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature, 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, China National Offshore Oil Corporation Ltd, Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, National Congress for the Defence of the People, Centre National d'Appui au Dveloppement et la Participation populaire, Deforestation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, List of birds of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tourism in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, "Virunga National Park Sees Its Worst Violence in a Decade, Director Says", "Twelve rangers killed in latest Virunga Park incident", "COP26: Landmark $500 million agreement launched to protect the DR Congo's forest", "Oil and gas exploration Virunga National Park", "DRC's oil blocks auction: Civil society statement on threats and intimidation of environmental defenders in DR Congo", "Contribution l'histoire jusque 1934 de la cration de l'Institut des parcs nationaux du Congo belge", "Conserving biodiversity in the Democratic Republic of Congo: a brief history, current trends and insights for the future", "The urgency of international intervention for the preservation of the mountain gorilla", "Beyond Contesting Limits: Land, Access, and Resistance at the Virunga National Park", "Sustainable development at natural World Heritage sites in Africa", "Engaging World Heritage to drive sustainable development in Africa: next steps", "Conserving forest biodiversity in times of violent conflict", "Transboundary collaboration in the Greater Virunga Landscape: From gorilla conservation to conflict-sensitive transboundary landscape management", "The counterinsurgency/conservation nexus: guerrilla livelihoods and the dynamics of conflict and violence in the Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo", "Militarised Conservation Threatens DRC's Indigenous People Part 1", "Six Virunga park rangers killed in DRC wildlife sanctuary", "In memoriam: deadliest attack on Virunga staff in Park's recent history brings total ranger deaths to 175", "Congo's Virunga park reopens eight months after deadly ambush", "Rangers killed in "deadliest" DR Congo park attack", "Six park rangers killed in DR Congo's Virunga gorilla reserve", "Six Virunga park rangers killed in eastern Congo ambush", "Italian ambassador to DR Congo killed in UN convoy attack", "On the germination of seeds in the dung balls of the African elephant in the Virunga National Park", "Behavioural adaptations to water scarcity in Tongo chimpanzees", Greater Virunga Landscape Large Mammal Surveys, 2010, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kyambura Wildlife Reserve, Kigezi Wildlife Reserve-General Management Plan (2011 - 2021), Aerial surveys of the Greater Virunga Landscape - Technical Report 2014, "L'apparition des crocodiles au lac ex-Edouard, Parc National des Virunga, Zare", "The Details of the Basongoro of Rwenzori and their Culture in Uganda", "Netflix's "Virunga" uncovers Congo's fight to protect resources", "Ndakasi, Beloved Mountain Gorilla of Photobomb Fame, dies", "Important Bird Areas factsheet: Virunga National Park", "Interview With Emmanuel de Merode, Director of Virunga National Park National Geographic Blog", "Inside the Fight to Save a Dangerous Park", National Parks of the Democratic Republic of Congo, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Virunga_National_Park&oldid=1147211296, National parks of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ramsar sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, World Heritage Sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nature conservation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 29 March 2023, at 14:08. In April, in an effort to end the war, a peace agreement is signed by government and rebel forces. HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF AFRICA GEOGRAPHIC: We're the Africa Geographic editorial team a diverse set of writers, editors, designers and social media natives, all united by our passion for this addictive continent. Satellite images showed hotspots at Nyamuragira volcano in early 2017, indicating ongoing eruptions. Virunga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site internationally recognized for its exceptional wildlife and habitats. Even the air is redolent with the scent of rich soil, and intrepid visitors find themselves besieged by butterflies and ebrious with delight at the natural life on show. 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. Virunga National Park - Wikipedia Of these, nine gorilla families have been carefully habituated over the last thirty years. Show map of Democratic Republic of the Congo, List of mountains peaks in the Virunga Mountain Range, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Virunga Mountains | Location, Description, & Facts", List of countries where Arabic is an official language, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Virunga_Mountains&oldid=1133900401, Mountain ranges of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, World Heritage Sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from August 2018, All articles needing additional references, Wikidata value to be checked for Infobox mountain, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 16 January 2023, at 01:48. Lions are carnivores that consume a wide variety of prey, from wildebeest, impala, zebra, giraffe, buffalo and wild hogs to the occasional rhino, hippo, or elephant when food is scarce. (US) +1 (786) 655-4040, *Call costs: Local rates apply from South Africa, UK and US otherwise international rates apply, newsletter@africageographic.com Networking & debating APP subscribers only, TRUSTED CONSERVATION PROJECTS Lake Edward is a vital resource for local fishermen. The Virunga Mountains in Volcanoes Park. In the course of increasing tensions, the park's chief warden, Emmanuel de Mrode, was assailed in April 2014. Throw in nocturnal displays of volcanic ambivalence, and the Virunga experience is far beyond the average escape from the humdrum of city life it is an exhilarating embrace of everything that makes Africa truly wild. The protected area is a portion of the Virunga massif a chain of 8 volcanic mountains that straddle the borders between Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo. Virunga Mountain Hiking 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 . Both savanna and forest buffalo are found in the park and can be found roaming the Rwindi plains in the Parks Central Sector. Farther north are the Rutshuru Falls and the Mai ya Moto sulfur springs. chat to the Africa Geographic travel team, Photographer of the Year 2023 Weekly Selection: Week 11. The best way to establish the state of affairs and what activities are on offer is to chat to the Africa Geographic travel team, who are in constant communication with Virungas park authorities and regularly send intrepid travelers to the area when it is safe to do so. Facts About Virunga Mountains | Mount Nyiragongo | Volcanoes Park It spans across the three countries; via the North West Rwanda covering Volcanoes National Park, south western Uganda encompassing Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and eastern Congo forming part of Virunga National Park. Shoebills are tall, stork-like birds with wing spans that can reach over 8 feet (2.4 meters). As a consequence, the park remained closed to visitors from June 2018[38] until February 2019. 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. Some of the Ruwenzori Mountains are permanently snow-capped, and glaciers exist at high elevations. It conserves a diversity of habitats that surpasses any other park on the continent and is tucked along the eastern boundary of the Democratic Republic of Congo, protecting the eastward extremity of the Congo Basin. Mount Mikeno is an extinct volcano located in the Virunga Mountains. Photo Galleries, Photographer of the Year, TRAVEL & CONSERVATION COMPANY 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. Shoebills prefer to hunt in poorly oxygenated and shallow waters where fish are closer to the surface, using their razor sharp beaks to catch their prey. [35], Increasing militarisation of nature conservation has been accused of fuelling armed mobilisation of militias. Not more than 20,000 years ago Nyiragongo and Nyamulagira emerged at the western end of the chain, both with extensive craters. 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. Virunga Mountains | National Park | Gorillas | Rwanda | Uganda Park protection efforts were militarised in the following years to deter armed rebel groups and poachers from operating inside the park. It was created in 1925. 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. 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. These mountains are part of the Great Rift Valley. [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. 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 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. To the northeast the Ruwenzori Range soars to more than 16,000 feet (4,880 metres). The presence of these volcanoes has shaped the landscape of the park over the years . [47] Most visitors opt to rotate through the different options. The name Virunga (Volcanoes), probably of Swahili derivation, has prevailed over the earlier Mufumbiro (That Which Cooks), which is still used in Uganda. Notable species include the prehistoric-looking shoebills, dashing Rwenzori turacos, mind-blowingly cryptic African green broadbills, and bizarre red-collared mountain babblers whose closest relative forages the slopes of Mt Jupe in Cameroon. Some biologists even believe that a fifth subspecies, called the mountain or Virunga buffalo, should be recognised. Virunga Mountains: the virunga mountain ranges mountain Both state security services and such groups also resort to armed robberies and kidnapping for income. 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. [50] 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. It conserves a diversity of habitats that surpasses any other park on the continent and is tucked along the eastern boundary of the Democratic Republic of Congo, protecting the eastward extremity of the Congo Basin. The first maps resulted from the major expedition of Adolf Friedrich, duke of Mecklenburg, which was undertaken in 190708. It is an extraordinary park steeped in a history of tragedy and heroism: primordial and viscerally wild. Today, they are probably the parks most famous residents. Discounts at Africas best lodges and on our hand-made packages subscribers only, STORIES & DISCUSSIONS [2] It is comparable in size to Haiti or the state of . The six volcanoes of the centre and east are extinct. Surrounded by the mountains and home to Lake Edward, this large expanse of grassland and wooded savanna plays host to the Parks highest concentrations of elephants, buffalos and warthogs. In addition to buffalo, the plains support several ungulates, including topi, Ugandan kob, waterbuck, warthog, and red river and giant forest hog. Nyiragongo are rewarded with a view of the worlds largest lava lake as it churns and bubbles. Habituation is a critical component of gorilla conservation, as it allows for detailed research to be undertaken on the species. Virunga Mountains is located in the East Africa with a chain of volcanoes that are within the borders of the countries Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Rwanda. Virunga Mountains, Virunga also spelled Birunga, also called Mufumbiro Mountains, volcanic range north of Lake Kivu in east-central Africa, extending about 50 miles (80 km) along the borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.

Jbl Flip 5 Blinking White Light Won't Turn On, Calendrier Spectacle Monster Truck France 2022, 3 Inch Continuous Soffit Vent, Hanamint Lounge Chair, Articles W

where are the virunga mountains located

where are the virunga mountains located