safaris Ltd offers safaris tracking these stocky giants with elongated heads in the lush vegetation of this forgotten forest.
The park is named after two mountains, Mt. Kahuzi (3.308 m.) and Mt. Biega (2.790 m.). With its 6.000 sq km in size, located in the South Kivu region of Congo, it has been designated World Heritage Site.

Virunga National Park was created in 1929 as the first African national park for the protection of the gorillas. It was named after the eight volcanoes mountains located within its Southern territory, of which the Niyragongo and Nyamulagira are still active volcanoes. The actual Virunga National Park was founded in 1960 after Congo Independence, The park has a size of 7.800 sq Km along the Ugandan border for over 300 km. This Park is part of the Virunga Conservation Area, which comprises three contiguous national parks – Mgahinga National Park in Uganda, Parc National des Volcans (PNV) in Rwanda, plus Virunga.

In 1979 the Park was designated as World Heritage Site and became well known for the endangered mountain Gorillas tracking. It is managed by the Congolese National Park Authorities or “Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature” (ICCN).

The administration of the park is divided in three different sectors. The Northern region is covering the territory from Rwenzori Mountains to the northern shores of Lake Edward. The Central region covers the Lake Edward and the planes of Rwindi, with the river Rutshuru. The Southern sector is dominated by the chain of volcanoes mountains before reaching Lake Kivu, a natural barrage along the Rift Valley.

Species. In the Northern sector, in the bamboo forest of Mount Tshiaberimu there is a small population of Lowland gorillas and chimpanzees.  In the central sector along the Rutshuru river there are hippos, while in Rwindi planes there are lions, buffaloes, kobs, elephants, giraffes. In the Southern sector and tropical rain forests there is a lively population of the Endangered mountain Gorillas.

Activities. The main activity for which the Park is well known is the mountains gorilla tracking in the Southern sector. In 2006 the population of mountains gorillas is deemed to have increased. There are six habituated Gorilla families which are possible to be visited, Advance booking of the Gorilla permit is strongly advised. This activity starts from the Ugandan border  town of Kisoro.

Majestic safaris Ltd arranges Gorilla Tracking safaris in the rain tropical Forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo. For more information, please contact us.