Is Kahuzi Biega National Park Safe?

Is Kahuzi Biega National Park safe? Is it safe for me to visit Kahuzi Biega National Park any time of the year? These are some of the questions that pop up in someone’s mind once visiting Kahuzi Biega National Park comes up, or if one thinks of visiting or booking a Congo safaris tour to visit Kahuzi Biega National Park.

Kahuzi Biega National Park is a 6000 square kilometre large Congo national park located in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, near Lake Kivu and just near the border of Congo and Rwanda. Kahuzi Biega National Park is home to 136 species of mammals with the most prominent being the eastern lowland gorillas that are already endangered and were under threat of extinction if not for the persistent conservationist efforts and policies in place by the different stakeholders in the tourism sector. 

Kahuzi Biega National Park is protected and managed by the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN), and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site having been designated in 1980. Other Kahuzi Biega National Park wildlife that travellers shall encounter while in the park include the eastern chimpanzees, Colobine and Owl-faced monkeys, bush elephants, civets, among so many others. The over 324 bird species in Kahuzi Biega National Park are also worth mentioning, for the park is one of the best birding destinations in the Congo. The two dormant volcanoes from which the park derived its name; Mount Kahuzi and Mount Biega are great adventurous spots that travellers after a thrill and a bit of challenge can take on.

With much to see and do in Kahuzi Biega National Park, and great landscapes and nature, travellers are drawn to the park. First on their mind though is the question is Kahuzi Biega National Park safe, and the Congo all together given that the country has in the past been known to have civil unrests especially in the eastern part of the Congo, where prominent Congo national parks like Virunga National Park and Kahuzi Biega National Park are found. Though Virunga National Park has in recent years seen attacks on tourists and various park officials and workers, like the 2020 attack on the park rangers, Kahuzi Biega National Park has not seen anything of the kind in while now. It is therefore safe to say that yes, Kahuzi Biega National Park is safe and can therefore be visited any time of the year. 

Kahuzi Biega National Park has not been closed to tourists in a long time, compared to the neighbouring Virunga National Park for the fact that the park is largely safe to visit, with the availability of many park rangers and collective efforts of the communities. Kahuzi Biega National Park is actually a perfect alternative Congo gorilla destination, for when the Virunga National Park is closed. In Kahuzi Biega National Park, travellers can get to encounter the eastern lowland gorillas while on an eastern lowland gorilla trekking adventure in the park.

Though the Democratic Republic in past years has been unstable, the country had seen relatively stable and continued peace with few random attacks in the densely forested areas the Virungas, that even the tourism industry had started to stabilise and flourish, especially in Kahuzi Biega National Park. Though safe for visitors to encounter the wildlife especially the eastern lowland gorillas, travellers visiting Kahuzi Biega National Park are strictly advised to follow all the guidelines given to them, and to follow all guide instructions while in the park. Travellers are also advised on moving in the night in the park more so alone and without an armed ranger guide not only to protect them from poachers or even thieves that may be in the park, but also the dangerous wild game of the park say leopards. For the safety of the travellers, too, they are advised against moving with gadgets like binoculars, cameras, or even much money for they can be attacked by thieves. These are all just precautionary efforts, for no cases of theft or insecurity have been registered in Kahuzi Biega National Park.

So yes, indeed, Kahuzi Biega National Park is safe for travellers to visit. Take time to put together an awesome Congo safaris tour with a reputable and knowledgeable tour operator who shall put into consideration among others your safety while in Kahuzi Biega National Park. Enjoy top things to do in Kahuzi Biega National Park like eastern lowland gorilla trekking among so many others, you may even include visiting Tchegera Island for an opportunity to unwind and relax after your Congo gorilla safari.